Goldie Sayers

Goldie Sayers

Sayers setting a new UK javelin record at the Crystal Palace Grand Prix, 2012
Personal information
Born (1982-07-16) 16 July 1982[1]
Newmarket, Suffolk[1]
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1]
Weight 11 st (70 kg)[1]
Sport
Country  United Kingdom
Sport Athletics
Event(s) Javelin
Updated on 11 August 2012.

Goldie Sayers, born Katherine Dinah Sayers (born 16 July 1982), is a British javelin thrower. She was born in Newmarket, Suffolk, United Kingdom. On 20 May 2007, Sayers set a new British record in the javelin at 65.05 m (213 ft 5 in), thus becoming the first British woman to throw over 65 metres since javelins were redesigned in 1999. Sayers set the record when competing for her university, Loughborough, at the Loughborough International match. She cemented this achievement at the Norwich Union Glasgow Grand Prix on 3 June 2007 where she beat a top-class international field in rainy conditions with a throw of 63.59 m. Defeated rivals included European champion and Olympic silver medallist Steffi Nerius and world champion Barbora Špotáková.

Early life

Sayers was educated at Fairstead House School, Newmarket, and at The King's School, Ely.[2] She played hockey, netball and tennis at county level, and was an under 11 national table tennis champion. She changed her name to Goldie by deed poll when she was 17 years old, influenced by actress Goldie Hawn.[3]

Career highlights

Goldie Sayers in 2009

Sayers first came to prominence when setting national junior records and winning national titles, in 2001. Sayers also served as the captain of Great Britain's women's under 20 team, this season. The following season, Sayers finished in sixth place at the Commonwealth Games.

From 2003–2007, Sayers won five consecutive national titles but had limited success at major championships, failing to make the final at her first Olympics in 2004 and finishing twelfth at both the 2005 World Championships and 2006 European Championships.

The early 2007 season boded well for Sayers, setting two UK records and defeating high-class rivals, such as Germany's European champion Steffi Nerius and the Czech Republic's Barbora Špotáková, who went on to win the world title that season, at a championship where Sayers finished 18th in qualifying, with her worst result of the season: 57.23 m.

On 15 March 2008 Sayers won the European Cup of Winter Throwing title in Split, Croatia, with a throw of 63.65 m.

She finished fourth at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where she set a new UK record with 65.75 m. She improved this record to 66.17m at the London Grand Prix Diamond League meeting in London in 2012.[4]

On 4 July 2012, Sayers carried the Olympic Torch through Bourne in Lincolnshire.[5]

On 7 August 2012, Sayers competed in the women's javelin at the 2012 Summer Olympics, but had sustained an injury to her right arm and was unable to feel her throwing hand. She threw three attempts but failed to throw the qualification distance and so stepped over the line and was knocked out of the competition without recording a mark.[6][7]

Sayers subsequently had elbow surgery which involved a ligament being removed from her right wrist and inserted in her left arm. She lost her funding from UK Athletics at the end of 2014, however after getting in contact with philanthropist Barrie Wells he agreed to fund Sayers' training in exchange for helping heptathlete Katrina Johnson-Thompson improve her javelin throwing.[8]

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing the  United Kingdom and  England
1998 World Junior Championships Annecy, France 22nd (q) 45.54 m (old spec.)
1999 World Youth Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 5th 47.86 m
2000 World Junior Championships Santiago, Chile 6th 51.52 m
2001 European Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 2nd 55.40 m
2002 Commonwealth Games Manchester, United Kingdom 6th 51.32 m
2003 European U23 Championships Bydgoszcz, Poland 11th 53.90 m
2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece 20th (q) 59.11 m
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 12th 54.44 m
Universiade Izmir, Turkey 4th 56.25 m
2006 European Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 12th 54.70 m
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 18th (q) 57.23 m
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 3rd 65.75 m
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 13th (q) 58.98 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 10th 58.18 m
2012 European Championships Helsinki, Finland 4th 63.01 m
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom NM
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 7th 57.68 m
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 8th 58.33 m
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 26th (q) 58.28 m
2016 European Championships Amsterdam, Netherlands 26th (q) 53.56 m

Personal life

Sayers' father, Pete Sayers, who died in 2005, was a bluegrass musician and the first Englishman to appear at the Grand Ole Opry.[9] He also appeared in the International Country Music Festival at Wembley, toured with George Hamilton IV and hosted a breakfast television programme in the United States.

Nickname

Sayers is nicknamed the Suffolk Slinger by her fans.[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Meet Team GB". thetimes.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  2. "My School Sport: Goldie Sayers". London: The Daily Telegraph. 10 August 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  3. Powell, David (21 June 2007). "Goldilocks bears burden of flying flag for country". Times Online. London: Times Newspapers. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  4. "Goldie Sayers breaks GB javelin record at London Grand Prix". Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  5. "Goldie Sayers – Olympic Torchbearers – 2012 Olympics". London 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  6. "Women's Javelin Throw – Olympic Athletics – London 2012". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  7. "Olympics athletics: GB's Goldie Sayers' emotional javelin exit". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
  8. Gibson, Owen (9 February 2015). "Unconventional 'stroke of genius' boosts Britain's bid for heptathlon gold". theguardian.com. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. Turnbull, Simon (19 August 2007). "Athletics: Goldie girl with the Midas touch who aims to throw caution to the wind". The Independent. Independent News and Media Limited. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
  10. "Goldie Sayers | Mission Sports Management Ltd". Missionsportsmanagement.com. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
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