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Better late than never! Olive Loughnane finally receives 2009 World Championship gold

‘It was great to share the moment with all the Irish fans here.’

OLIVE LOUGHNANE THIS evening received her gold medal for winning the 2009 World Championship 20km race walk at a ceremony in Amsterdam.

European Athletic Championships 2016 - Day One - Olympic Stadium PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

The Cork athlete originally finished second behind Olga Kaniskina but was subsequently upgraded to gold after the Russian was stripped of her medal.

The 40-year-old, who retired from athletics in 2013, received her medal from IAAF President Sebastian Coe at a special presentation at the European Championships.

“There’s value in sentiment and it was great to share the moment with all the Irish fans here,” an emotional Loughnane said after the raising of the Irish flag and a rendition of Amhrán na bhFiann.

European Athletic Championships 2016 - Day One - Olympic Stadium PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Loughnane becomes Ireland’s fourth athletics world champion after Eamonn Coghlan, Sonia O’Sullivan and Rob Heffernan.

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    Mute funkytown
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    Jul 6th 2016, 8:56 PM

    Fair play olive.

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    Mute Shane McGettrick
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    Jul 6th 2016, 9:07 PM

    A 7 year wait shouldn’t diminish the achievement, well deserved.

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    Mute John Dixon
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    Jul 6th 2016, 9:14 PM

    Mr. Coe could be very busy over the next few years with these little ceremonies

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    Mute JEPMC
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    Jul 6th 2016, 9:32 PM

    Well deserved.

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    Mute Fran Heavey
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    Jul 6th 2016, 10:56 PM

    Absolutely robbed of God knows how much in terms of monetary wealth and personal glory.fair play to her for not being bitter about it but she deserves huge compensation.

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    Mute brian o leary
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    Jul 6th 2016, 11:08 PM

    Completely agree. There should be hefty fines for dopers when they’re stripped of medals. Payable by them or their countries. The bigger the competition and placing the bigger the fine. It should all then go to the athlete who was in line for the medal. That’d hit em where it hurts. As it stands financially it’s well worth the risk of a ban and loosing a medal.

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    Mute John Tuohy
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    Jul 6th 2016, 11:52 PM

    Olive is from Galway living in Cork. She is a loughrea AC athlete. Amazing achievement for olive and really well done

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    Mute THETRUTH
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    Jul 7th 2016, 4:24 AM

    She was born in Cork and lives in Cork, Galway in between. If you asked her where she was from I’m pretty sure she would say Cork

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    Mute John Tuohy
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    Jul 7th 2016, 8:04 AM

    If so why did she have a loughrea AC flag on the podium

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    Mute kevbo
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    Jul 7th 2016, 1:06 PM

    Born in Cork. Moved to Galway as a child.

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