As you all know by now, Rob Heffernan of Togher AC is the world 50km walks champion – exactly thirty years to the day since one Eamonn Coghlan won the 5000m at the very first World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki.
Ireland’s only other world champion is Sonia O’Sullivan winner of the 5000m in 1995. Ireland’s two other world medals, both of them silver, have gone to race walkers – Gillian O’Sullivan in 2003 and Olive Loughnane in 2009.
After fourth places at two European Championships and again at last year’s Olympics, Heffernan was long overdue a medal. He made that medal gold with a minute to spare when he crossed the finish line in 3 hrs 37 mins 56 secs, beating Russia’s Mikhail Ryzhov. Heffernan had made the decisive move at 40km and never looked back, despite receiving one yellow card. Ryzhov was second in 3:38:58 and Australia’s Jared Talent third in 3:40:03
Letterkenny’s Brendan Boyce, who moved to Cork to train with Heffernan in the past year, finished 25th in a new personal best of 3:54:24.
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