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. He is known for winning a gold medal at the World Championships and a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Race walking is a sport where athletes walk as fast as they can, but they must always keep one foot on the ground.
Contents
Robert Heffernan's Career Highlights
Robert Heffernan has competed in many important races. He has represented Ireland at several Olympic Games and World Championships.
Early Olympic Races
At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Robert finished 28th in the 20 km race walk. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, he was unfortunately disqualified. This means he broke a rule during the race.
He improved a lot by the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. He finished eighth in the 20 km race walk. His wife, Marian Andrews, is also a great athlete. She is a national champion in the 400 metres race.
European Championships Success
In 2010, Robert won a bronze medal at the 2010 European Athletics Championships in Barcelona. This was for the 20 km race walk. He also finished fourth in the 50 km race walk at the same event. This was a new national record for Ireland!
London 2012 Olympics
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Robert had two amazing performances. He finished ninth in the 20 km race. A week later, he came fourth in the 50 km race. He finished seven minutes faster than the old Irish record. These were the best results for the Irish athletics team at those Olympics.
Winning an Olympic Medal
Later, in 2015, some athletes were investigated for breaking rules about fair play. This included the winner of the 50 km walk at the 2012 London Olympics. After a long process, the Court of Arbitration for Sport made a decision. On 24 March 2016, Robert Heffernan was officially given the Olympic Bronze medal. He received his medal in November 2016. This was a huge moment for him and for Ireland!
World Champion in 2013
On 14 August 2013, Robert Heffernan became a World Champion. He won the 50 km race walk at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow. He finished more than a minute ahead of the second-place runner. His winning time was 3:37:56.
After winning, Robert said it felt "surreal" and like an "out of body experience." He was very happy and proud. His winning time was the fastest in the world that year by over three minutes.
Other Work and Life
In November 2022, Robert Heffernan started a new role. He became a performance coach for the Cork senior footballers. He works with the team's manager, John Cleary.
Robert is married to Marian Heffernan, who was also an Olympian in the 400M race. They live in Cork city with their family. In 2016, Robert wrote a book about his life called Walking Tall. His son, Cathal Heffernan, is also a talented athlete. He plays football for Newcastle United's U21 team and has been captain of the Republic of Ireland under-17 national squad.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Heffernan para niños
