Robert Heffernan facts for kids
Heffernan wins the World Championships of 2013 in Moscow
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 28 February 1978 Cork, Ireland |
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| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Marian Heffernan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Ireland |
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| Sport | Racewalking | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | 20 km race walk, 50 km race walk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 20 km: 1:19:22 50 km: 3:37:54 |
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Medal record
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Robert Heffernan (born 28 February 1978) is a famous Irish race walker. Race walking is a sport where athletes walk as fast as they can. They must always keep one foot on the ground. Robert has won many important medals for Ireland.
Contents
Robert Heffernan's Amazing Career
Robert Heffernan has competed in many major events. He showed great dedication and skill throughout his career.
Early Olympic Races
Robert first competed in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia in 2000. He finished 28th in the 20-kilometer race walk. In the 2004 Olympics, he was unfortunately disqualified.
He kept working hard and improved a lot by the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. There, he finished eighth in the 20-kilometer race walk.
European Championships Success
In 2010, Robert won a bronze medal at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, Spain. This was for the 20-kilometer race walk. He also finished fourth in the 50-kilometer race walk. This was a great achievement, especially since it was only three days after his first race!
London 2012 Olympics and Fair Play
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, Robert had two strong performances. He finished ninth in the 20-kilometer race and fourth in the 50-kilometer race. His 50-kilometer time was much faster than the previous Irish record. These were the best results for the Irish athletics team at those Olympics.
Later, it was discovered that some athletes who finished ahead of Robert had broken the rules. They had used banned substances, which is called doping. This is unfair in sports. The winner of the 50-kilometer walk, Sergey Kirdyapkin, was one of these athletes.
After a long process, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided that the rules had been broken. Because of this, Robert Heffernan was officially awarded the Olympic bronze medal for the 50-kilometer walk. He received his medal in November 2016. This showed that fairness in sport is very important.
Becoming a World Champion
On 14 August 2013, Robert Heffernan achieved his biggest dream. He won the gold medal at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia. This was in the 50-kilometer race walk event. He finished more than a minute ahead of the second-place athlete. His winning time was 3 hours, 37 minutes, and 56 seconds. This was the fastest time in the world that year.
After winning, Robert said it felt "surreal" and like an "out of body experience." He was incredibly happy and proud.
Later Competitions
Robert continued to compete at a high level. In 2015, he finished fifth in the 50-kilometer race walk at the World Championships in Beijing. He also competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he finished sixth in the 50-kilometer race walk.
Robert's Life Outside of Racing
Robert Heffernan has also used his experience to help others.
Coaching Role
In November 2022, Robert became a performance coach for the Cork senior footballers. He works with the team to help them improve their fitness and performance.
Family Life
Robert is married to Marian Heffernan, who is also an Olympian. She competed in the 400-meter race. They live in Cork city with their family. Robert wrote a book about his life called "Walking Tall" in 2016.
His son, Cathal Heffernan, is also a talented athlete. He plays football for Newcastle United's Under-21 team. Cathal has also played for the Republic of Ireland's Under-17 and Under-19 national teams. Robert's daughter, Meghan Carr, plays football in the League of Ireland Women's Premier Division for Waterford.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Heffernan para niños
