Waddell has heart operation

Olympic gold medal single sculler Rob Waddell (left) has undergone keyhole surgery at Waikato Hospital to correct atrial fibrillation conditions.

Another Olympic gold medallist has also had the heart surgery but a hospital spokeswoman declined last night to name the athlete.

She said the two had been neighbours in the cardiac care ward.

In atrial fibrillation, the heartbeat is irregular and may be very fast because the normal timer in the heart does not work properly.

Waddell, New Zealand's only gold medallist at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, did not defend his title at Athens because of his longstanding heart condition.

It resurfaced again in a race-off against Mahe Drysdale for the single sculls spot in Beijing.

- NZPA