She was at work as a supermarket surpervisor and had to keep a straight face as family and friends called in to celebrate the announcement her son Jared would be awarded an Olympic gold medal for the 2012 50km race-walk. 

“It was pretty hard last night. I worked until midnight, but I’d had a 15-minute break and talked to Jared and was supposed to have my mobile phone on me to find out,” she said. 

“I ended up having my daughter text me, but I had to try and keep serving people with my phone going off.” 

“You sort of want to celebrate but you can’t.” 

Tallent was given the prize after the results were fixed to reflect a finding that former gold medal-holder Sergey Kirdyapkin should not have competed in London. 

He raced in a window between two doping bans, which the International Association of Athletics Federation has now been accused of helping the Russian Athletics Federation get around. 

The lost fanfare of winning an Olympic event cannot be replaced but Tallent will have at least one celebration thrown for him. 

He said he had received an email from Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates outlining its plans to have a celebration, where Tallent will be presented with his gold medal.

And locally, as he becomes the third Ballarat gold medallist after Russell Mark and Shayne Reese, there will likely also be a party. 

Mayor Des Hudson said it would be considered by council. 

“At this stage I’d be happy to consider some form of civic recognition, given the fact he was not able to be presented with his medal on his day,” he said. 

Kathy Tallent said their attention would now turn to Rio de Janeiro where their daughter Rachel will also compete. 

Mrs Tallent was hesitant to predict a repeat gold for Jared but noted his experience in what will be his third Olympics. 

“He’s getting older every year,” she said. 

But the post-race win will have an impact, she said. 

“He’ll be a lot happier this year. It’s been a long time.” 

If Tallent has his way he won’t have any Russian competitors in Rio. 

Following the 2012 debacle and evidence of a systematic doping regime sponsored by the national body, he is pushing for Russia to be excluded from the games.