Rob Heffernan of Ireland finished fourth in the Men’s 50 kilometre walk at London 2012 on Saturday. The 34 year from Cork broke the Irish record by seven minutes and 36 seconds.
A relative novice at this distance – he finished ninth in the 20 kilometre race earlier in the Olympics – he made a decision after the Beijing Olympics to target the longer event at the London Games and came so close to winning a medal.
Heffernan finished one minute and 55 seconds behind the winner Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin but just 31 seconds adrift of China’s Tianfeng Si, who won the bronze medal.
Australia’s Jared Tallent claimed the silver medal.
Heffernan paced himself brilliantly through the race to give himself every opportunity to claim a medal as he opushed on from 12th place after 30 kilometres, to eighth after 40 kilometres, fifth after 45 kilometres before eventually crossing the line in fifth place.
It eclipses the best ever performance by an Irish race walker in the Olympics, a mark held previously by Jimmy McDonald when the latter finished sixth in the 20 kilometre discipline at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
Ireland's Brendan Boyce came home in 29th place, two and a half minutes inside his personal best, but compatriot Colin Griffin was disqualified after being red-paddled on three occasions.
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