Goldie Sayers

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 UK record in the javelin (65.05), 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 63.59m. Defeated rivals included European champion and Olympic silver medallist Steffi Nerius and world champion Barbora Špotáková.

Career highlights

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 March 15, 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.

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

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.

source: wikipedia