Commonwealth discus and hammer champion claims it is “embarrassing and terrible” that clubmates who brought glory to the city have not been invited to this summer’s Games
Uniquely, Bob Weir has won Commonwealth titles for England in the hammer and discus and broken British records in both events. During a 20-year period from 1982-2002 he won 12 national throws titles and competed in three Olympic Games. Feared by his rivals and admired by team-mates and fellow athletes, he became captain of the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team and triumphantly lifted the European Cup after a memorable victory over Germany in Gateshead 22 years ago.
This success came despite a six-year spell playing in the Canadian Football League and also once taking part in the World’s Strongest Man competition. Since retiring from competition, he has moved into coaching and, as head coach at Stanford University, he guided Adam Nelson to the US shot put title and the Olympic podium before enjoying coaching roles in Oregon and elsewhere before currently settling at the University of Missouri.
Given this, he is surprised that he has not received any kind of invitation to attend this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. To add insult to injury, he was raised in the city – going to school at Handsworth Grammar – and competed for Birchfield Harriers, the home club at the Alexander Stadium. What’s more, his daughter, Jillian, is likely to be at the Games throwing the hammer for Canada.
“I feel it’s fantastic that the Commonwealth Games is coming to Birmingham,” he tells AW via video from the United States. “Forty years ago it was in Australia (where Weir won hammer gold in Brisbane) and now it’s in Birmingham. When I grew up, the centre of athletics (in Britain) was in London but now it’s in Birmingham. There is a state-of-the-art facilities and it’s a great platform for the future.”
But the 61-year-old adds: “My concern with Birmingham and the city is that there are athletes like Judy Simpson, Clova Court, Phil Brown, Lincoln Asquith and myself and a lot of Birmingham people who have been ignored. There hasn’t been an invitation. They’ve not asked them to participate.
“They’ve not done anything for the athletes who helped to build athletics in the UK. There is not even a section for any of the (ex) athletes from the home countries so they can take part in the festivities.”
Bob Weir wins in Kuala Lumpur (Mark Shearman)
Simpson won Commonwealth Games heptathlon gold in 1986 plus silver and bronze. Brown won two golds in the 4x400m and bronze in the 400m in the 1980s. Asquith teamed up with Daley Thompson and others to win 4x100m silver in 1986. Court competed in the heptathlon and sprint hurdles at the Games in the 1990s. All of them are Birchfield Harriers and they are part of the club’s amazing heritage at the Commonwealth Games which includes, among others, three-time hammer champion Howard Payne, two-time triple jump winner Ashia Hansen, two-time heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis, not to mention past champions like Kelly Sotherton, Louise Hazel and Nathan Morgan – the list goes on.
“It’s supposed to be the Friendly Games. And yet it is very disappointing to see that England Athletics, UK Athletics or whoever have routinely ignored their own people in an opportunity to showcase to the world what Birmingham can be. Denise Lewis will be fine because she’ll be on telly. But other athletes who have contributed a lot have been ignored.
“If I’m wrong, I’d like to be wrong. But I’ve not seen anything about Birchfield Harriers or local Midlands athletes being invited to participate at any level. That’s a travesty.”
Birmingham City Council says invitations have not gone out yet and AW understands that they are linked to sponsors and partners of the Games. UKA, it should be added, organise British teams and do not traditionally get involved in the home nation squads which compete in the Commonwealth Games.
However, linked to this, Birchfield Harriers is currently in a precarious position whereby they are uncertain whether they will be able to set up their headquarters again at the track once the 2022 Games are over. The very fabric of the club was entwined in the old Alexander Stadium but following its redevelopment there is no guarantee it will be able to return.
GB captain Bob Weir lifts the European Cup (Mark Shearman)
“I’m over here coaching at the University of Missouri so I can understand me (being ignored) but with some of the other people, it’s embarrassing. It’s terrible,” says Weir. “I don’t think they understand the impact that they have by ignoring the people who have contributed to British athletics.”
Weir talks about a “disconnect” between the administrators and the British athletes who contributed to the success of the sport. “If I do go,” he adds, “it will be to see family and friends. But I’ve not had a formal invitation.”
» Look out for an in-depth feature on Bob Weir’s amazing career in the July issue of AW magazine
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