Rob Heffernan to be Presented with 2012 Olympic 50k Racewalking Bronze Medal

Rob Heffernan - Olympic 50k Racewalk Bronze Medal Presentation

City Hall, Cork

7pm, Thursday November 3rd 2016

London 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal min

Rob & Marian Heffernan's Facebook Page

Thursday sees Togher AC and Ireland athlete, Rob Heffernan finally presented with Olympic Bronze. Rob finished in fourth place, in the Men's 50km Walk, at the 2012 London Olympics, behind "winner" Russian athlete Sergey Kirdyapkin.

The Russian had been suspended for use of a performance enhancing substance, with the suspension "lifted" for a period including the London Olympics, with the remainder of the suspension reinstated after the Olympics. The "shenanigans" later came to light and Kirdyapkin, along with several other Russian athletes, was banned by the IAAF. Following a Russian Federation appeal to CAS the Court of Arbitration in Sport, all of the appeals were rejected. The upshot, with respect to the 50k London Olympic Racewalk, was that Australian athlete Jared Tallent was elevated to Gold, with China's Tianfeng Si, Silver and Ireland's Rob Heffernan awarded Olympic Bronze. At the time Rob said "It's just hard, it's hard. I wanted to win an Olympic Medal. It's been my dream" Tomorrow night Rob, that dream will be reality! Take a well deserved bow!

Rob will be signing copies of his book after the function and is "looking forward to meeting everybody tomorrow, because they were a big part of this too" After the function in the City Hall, Rob is heading to Soho, on Grand Parade. Following this he will be attending a private function later in the evening.

Medal Presentation

The official Olympic Bronze Medal Presentation takes place at 7pm on Thursday November 3rd, at a ceremony organised by Cork City Council and the Olympic Council of Ireland. The medal will be jointly presented by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) and Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Des Cahill.

Entrance to the Medal Presentation Ceremony in the City Hall is by ticket only, with each of the 400 tickets admitting two. Rob is keen to meet everybody and that anyone who doesn't have a ticket might have an opportunity to meet him after the official function. [Rob will be traveling on foot to Soho <hint>]

Book Launch

Rob's biography, Walking Tall The Autobiography of a World Champion and Olympic Medallist, published by The Collins Press will also be launched at the City Hall tomorrow.

Rob's book, Walking Tall, ISBN: 9781848892880, will be available at all good bookstores after tomorrow.

Walking Tall JKT min

Official Description

"In this no-holds-barred account, Rob Heffernan describes his battles with injury, depression and abject poverty on his way to the top. Even when at his best, he often found himself cheated out of medals by those who crossed the dark line into doping. He candidly tells for the first time of the confrontations with Athletics Ireland and the Irish Sports Council that raged in the background of his struggle for that prestigious Olympic medal. This is the inside story of how one boy’s dream led him from the council flats of his tough upbringing to the winners’ podium. It is also a frank chronicle of the sometimes nightmare-ridden journey it takes to make a dream come true."