Robert Heffernan happy with fighting fifth at World Championships

Robert Heffernan finished a fighting fifth in the men’s 50km race walk in 3:44:17 in a brave bid to defend his world title at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, while Ireland’s men’s 4x400m relay team set a national record.

Heffernan (Togher) was in the thick of the action for a medal for much of the race which won impressively by Slovakia’s Matej Toth in 3:40:32. Australia’s Jared Tallent was second in 3:42:17 while Japan’s Takayuki Tanii was third in 3:42:55.

And Heffernan, who has struggled with injuries for much of the last year, was satisfied with his showing. He said: “For me to finish fifth after the problems I’ve had this year, it shows my resolve. If I’m healthy and not injured, I can always grind out a good result. In relevant terms, this is a medal for me.”