Irish Hammer throwing received a huge boost last weekend with the visit of Sergej Litvinov from Rostov in Russia. Sergej is a top quality athlete in his own right with a hammer best of 80.98m which enables major championships medals in the World Student Games and European Championships. He was coached by his father Sergey Litvinov (Olympic Champion & 86.04m best). With this unmatched pedigree, he was able to share incredible experiences to the enthusiastic group of Irish throwers and coaches.

During the two-day event in at the fabulous new facility in Dunboyne, Litvinov primarily focused on fundamental aspects of hammer technique – getting the entry right to turn one and establishing the hammer orbit on the right path - stressing that these were vital to ensure that the rest of the throw could be delivered. Also, he shared many ideas around specific physical preparation, mental toughness and how to prepare for competition.

Litvinov currently is based in Leverkusen in Germany where he works as a coach. Athletics Ireland are grateful to Leverkusen for allowing Litvinov to travel to Ireland to share his ideas. This addition to the Athletics Ireland coaching program is focused on Coach mentoring and the development of our coaches.