View source for Duncan Atwood

{{short description|American javelin thrower}}
'''Duncan Fuller Atwood''' (born October 11, 1955, in [[Seattle, Washington]]) is a former American [[Athletics (sport)|athlete]] who twice won a [[gold medal]] in the [[javelin throw]] at the [[Pan American Games]]: in 1979 and 1987. Atwood set his personal best (78.92 meters) on August 29, 1987, in [[Rome, Italy]], during the qualification round at the [[1987 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]].

== Olympics==
Atwood qualified for the 1980 U.S. Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. Olympic Committee's [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow, Russia. He was one of 461 athletes to receive a [[List of Congressional Gold Medal recipients|Congressional Gold Medal]] instead.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Caroccioli|first1=Tom|last2=Caroccioli|first2=Jerry|title=Boycott: Stolen Dreams of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games|year=2008|publisher=New Chapter Press|location=Highland Park, IL|isbn=978-0942257403|pages=243–253}}</ref> He competed for America at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles, California]], finishing in 11th place.

== Doping ==
Atwood was one of the 12 American track and field athletes who abruptly left Caracas after it became known that there would be stricter and improved drug testing at the [[1983 Pan American Games]].<ref>William R. Barnard: [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=892&dat=19830824&id=KlZIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4EwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6265,3762485&hl=en Shot put suffers following drug scandal], The Courier, 24 August 1983</ref>

In August 1985 Atwood tested positive for a prohibited stimulant at a competition in Koblenz, Germany. He was subsequently banned for life by [[IAAF]] for the anti-doping rule violation.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19860222&id=JOlVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kOEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3428,5142660&hl=en IAAF may lift two bans, but others ousted], Eugene Register-Guard, 22 February 1986</ref> At the time IAAF banned athletes for life for the first doping offence, but the athlete could apply to have the ban reduced, something IAAF would routinely grant. Atwood got his ban reduced and was able to compete again in 1987.

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable}}
|-
!colspan="5"|Representing the {{USA}}
|-
|1979
|[[Athletics at the 1979 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]
|[[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]
|bgcolor="gold"  | 1st
|84.16 m
|-
|1984
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's javelin throw|Olympic Games]]
|[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, United States]]
|11th
|78.10 m 
|-
|rowspan=2|1987 
|[[Athletics at the 1987 Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]
|[[Indianapolis]], [[United States]]
|bgcolor="gold"  | 1st
|78.68 m
|-
|[[1987 World Championships in Athletics – Men's javelin throw|World Championships]]
|[[Rome, Italy]]
|12th
|72.54 m
|}

==Seasonal bests by year==
*1979 - '''84.16 m'''
*1987 - '''78.92''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{World Athletics}}
*{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/duncan-atwood-1.html |title=Duncan Atwood |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104100017/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/duncan-atwood-1.html |archivedate=2012-11-04 |df= }}

{{Footer Pan American Champions Javelin Men}}
{{Footer US NC Javelin Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 1984 Summer Olympics}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atwood, Duncan}}
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American male javelin throwers]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic track and field athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Doping cases in athletics]]
[[Category:American sportspeople in doping cases]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Seattle]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Congressional Gold Medal recipients]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1979 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1987 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]


{{US-javelinthrow-athletics-bio-stub}}