Charles Clover

Charles Clover

Personal information
Nationality	English
Born	(1955-05-13) 13 May 1955 (age 66) Ipswich, Suffolk
hide Medal record Athletics Representing  England Commonwealth Games 1974 Christchurch Javelin throw

Charles Phillip Clover (born 13 May 1955)^[1] is a male British former track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw.

Athletics career[]

From Ipswich, Clover established himself as one of Britain's top young throwers in the early 1970s, setting a British youth record of 77.58 m (254 ft 6+1⁄4 in) in 1972.^[2] His first major competition was the 1973 European Athletics Junior Championships, where a throw of 72.10 m (236 ft 6+1⁄2 in) placed him fourth overall.^[3] He proved himself at the top of the national scene with a win at the Commonwealth Games trials in 1973, gaining his first senior selection for England in the process.^[4]

Representing England at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games, held in February in Christchurch, the 18-year-old Clover caused an upset by beating his compatriot and defending champion Dave Travis in the final.^[5][6][7] Clover improved his personal best by more than seven metres over the course of the competition and ended with a best of 84.92 m (278 ft 7+1⁄4 in) – a European, Commonwealth and European junior record. It was also a new games record by a margin of more than five metres.^[8][9][10] Among British men, this mark was not beaten for a decade and remains the national record at junior level.^[11][12]

After this performance he never again reached such heights. He was the 1974 winner at the , but wins at the South of England Championships in 1976 and 1982 proved to be the highest level accolades he won after the Commonwealth title.^[13][14]

References[]