McGonagle: Heffernan/Paco is in the past

Ireland’s Olympic team manager yesterday rejected any association or coaching arrangement between Irish Olympic race walker, Robert Heffernan, and former Olympic silver medallist, Francisco ‘Paco’ Fernandez, who is serving a ban for his involvement in a drugs scandal in Spain.

Patsy McGonagle expressed disappointment at a newspaper report which described Fernandez as Heffernan’s “mentor” and pointed out that, as the Irish training camp is based in the Spaniard’s home town of Guadix, it was probably inevitable that the pair would meet.

“But there is no professional association whatsoever,” McGonagle insisted. “Obviously there was a relationship some years ago because not only were they competitors but they were both coached by Robert Korzianowski and I would be very surprised if the friendship built up during that time did not exist. However, there is no question and there never has been of Fernandez coaching Robert Heffernan — or any of the Irish walkers.