Heffernan happy to see the back of Schwazer

Olympics:Irish race walker Rob Heffernan has tweeted his delight that the favourite for the 50km walk, Italy's Alex Schwazer, has been caught doping.

Heffernan used the hashtag #cheatinbastardo to describe Schwazer, the defending Olympic champion, who failed a drug test at the weekend and has been expelled from the games by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI).

Schwazer (27) said after his expulsion that his career was over. "I did it all myself and on my own head so I assume all the responsibility for what has happened,” he told Italian media.

Heffernan is the only Irish track and field athlete with a realistic chance of a medal following his impressive 9th place finish in the 20km walk.

He tweeted yesterday: “Unreal news, another one down hopefully it will show he was on something in barca and I might pick up a medal”.

The reference to Barcelona refers to the European Championships in 2010 when Heffernan finished fourth and Schwazer won the silver medal. Heffernan is hopeful that Schwazer’s medal will be taken away from him retrospectively and the Irish man will get a Bronze instead.

Heffernan finished it up with another tweet: “Alex Swatzer (sic) favourite for the 50km "epo" One less to worry about”.

EPO, full name Erythropoietin, is a protein which increases oxygen carrying capacity in the body and is well known as a doping agent used by athletes who cheat. Heffernan goes in the final of the 50km walk on Saturday.