Martin Girvan
British hammer thrower
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Martin Girvan (born 17 April 1960) is a British former athlete who specialised in the hammer throw. He represented both Great Britain and Northern Ireland in international competition.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Born | 17 April 1960 Southend-on-Sea, England |
| Height | 1.94 m (6 ft 4+1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 118 kg (260 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Hammer throw |
| Club | Wolverhampton & Bilston AC |
Medal record | |
Biography
Girvan had a personal best throw of 77.54m, set in Wolverhampton 1984, breaking both the British and Commonwealth records.[1] His British record stood for 31-years.[2]
He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and finished ninth in the final. His best attempt of 72.32m was registered with his second throw.[3]
In addition to his Olympic appearance he also won silver medals at the 1982 and 1986 Commonwealth Games[4] and was twice British hammer throw champion after winning the British AAA Championships titles at the 1980 AAA Championships[5] and 1981 AAA Championships.[6][7]
Claims on doping
Outspoken against drugs in sport, in the late 1980s he made allegations of drug taking and cover-up in athletics. Girvan claimed that earlier in the decade, in order to test suspicions he had, he asked British athletics official Andy Norman prior to testing at a meet in Crystal Palace that his results would be "embarrassing", which he says prompted Norman to organise for his urine sample to be switched with another.[8][9]
In another allegation, Girvan stated that leading hammer thrower Yuriy Sedykh once advised him on what type of drugs to take, during a coaching seminar.[10][11]