Martin Girvan

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.

Martin Girvan
Personal information
Birth nameMartin Girvan
Born (1960-04-17) 17 April 1960
Southend-on-Sea, England
Height1.94 m (6 ft 4 1⁄2 in)
Weight118 kg (260 lb)
Sport
Country Great Britain
 Northern Ireland
SportAthletics
ClubWBAC, Wolverhampton
Medal record
Men's Athletics
Representing  Northern Ireland
Commonwealth Games
1982 BrisbaneHammer throw
1986 EdinburghHammer throw

Career

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]

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.[5][6]

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.[7][8]

Both Norman and Sedykh denied the allegations.[5][8]

References
  1. "Chris Evert Lloyd beaten at last - On This Day". ESPN.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  2. "Nick Miller breaks 31-year-old British hammer record". BBC Sport. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  3. "Athletics at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Games: Men's Hammer Throw". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  4. McDowell, Jim (22 July 2002). "CommonWealth Games: Golden moments and silver linings". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  5. "College Football North Carolina Selects Tulane`s Brown As Coach". Sun-Sentinel. 17 December 1987. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  6. "Man who turned blind eye to cheats". Herald Scotland. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  7. Hersh, Phil (20 June 1988). "Coe Runs British Reports Of His Demise Into Ground". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
  8. Gillon, Doug (20 June 1988). "Soviet hammer men stay away". The Glasgow Herald. p. 5. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
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