It’s just typical of the Corkman’s relentlessness that, as soon as he hangs up the phone, he will take his celebration to work today.
“I’m just sitting to put shorts on, and a heart-rate monitor around my chest, one shoe on. I’m still trying to get ready so I can run out the door. No beds dressed, pillows all over the place…”
Heffernan was speaking to TodayFM’s Anton Savage Show, and the presenter asked him to put the hi-tech gear to use. Heffernan clicked the monitor into use while explaining his normal resting heart-rate is usually around the 50 mark. Now?
Every athlete would rather secure their medal on the day of their actual event rather than by opening a mid-morning email from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But right now, the Heffernan house is flooded with joy.
Marian Heffernan, an Olympian in her own right, urges Rob on at the European Championships. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
“I said it to Mar (wife and coach Marian), she’s nearly crying. I genuinely didn’t know – I thought when we found out I’d be: ‘ah, sure, yeah.’
“I’ve goosepimples here thinking about it.”
“From day one, I knew myself inside (that Sergey Kirdyapkin wasn’t racing clean), but unfortunately that doesn’t matter.
You’re remembered as the fella who finished fourth for a month. Then after that people’s lives move on. Ultimately, when you don’t win a medal you’re forgotten really.
“It’s huge. It’s something that, as long as I’ve been doing sport, I’ve dreamt of winning an Olympic medal. Now to have one is a lot to take in.”
It’s not a ruling that was unexpected, but it does lift a weight off Heffernan’s shoulders.
“I’ve been going around the last few months, it’s been dragging on now a while, people in Cork coming up and congratulating me on being a new Olympic medallist.
Ian MacNicol / INPHO
Ian MacNicol / INPHO / INPHO
“A lot of people, I don’t know is it a Cork thing, they were congratulating me on a gold and I never bother correcting them.
“It was like I was half living a lie. When they were saying: ‘congratulations on the medal’ I’d kind of nod. I was trying to believe it myself, but now it’s been made official… I didn’t know how I feel about it.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m delighted, over the moon. It’s unreal.”
'When you don't win a medal you're forgotten': Heffernan thrilled by belated Olympic award
“I’M MEANT TO be leaving to go to the track now in three minutes,” said Rob Heffernan scarcely 15 minutes after finding out he is to become the proud owner of an Olympic bronze.
It’s just typical of the Corkman’s relentlessness that, as soon as he hangs up the phone, he will take his celebration to work today.
“I’m just sitting to put shorts on, and a heart-rate monitor around my chest, one shoe on. I’m still trying to get ready so I can run out the door. No beds dressed, pillows all over the place…”
Heffernan was speaking to TodayFM’s Anton Savage Show, and the presenter asked him to put the hi-tech gear to use. Heffernan clicked the monitor into use while explaining his normal resting heart-rate is usually around the 50 mark. Now?
“94, 97, 99… 101, 102… oh my God… it’s 114 now. Unbelievable!”
He’s excited.
Every athlete would rather secure their medal on the day of their actual event rather than by opening a mid-morning email from the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But right now, the Heffernan house is flooded with joy.
“I said it to Mar (wife and coach Marian), she’s nearly crying. I genuinely didn’t know – I thought when we found out I’d be: ‘ah, sure, yeah.’
“I’ve goosepimples here thinking about it.”
“From day one, I knew myself inside (that Sergey Kirdyapkin wasn’t racing clean), but unfortunately that doesn’t matter.
“It’s huge. It’s something that, as long as I’ve been doing sport, I’ve dreamt of winning an Olympic medal. Now to have one is a lot to take in.”
It’s not a ruling that was unexpected, but it does lift a weight off Heffernan’s shoulders.
“I’ve been going around the last few months, it’s been dragging on now a while, people in Cork coming up and congratulating me on being a new Olympic medallist.
“A lot of people, I don’t know is it a Cork thing, they were congratulating me on a gold and I never bother correcting them.
“It was like I was half living a lie. When they were saying: ‘congratulations on the medal’ I’d kind of nod. I was trying to believe it myself, but now it’s been made official… I didn’t know how I feel about it.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m delighted, over the moon. It’s unreal.”
It’s an excellent piece of radio, listen back to Heffernan’s reaction on TodayFM.com
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