Ivan Tsikhan

{{Infobox sportsperson

| nationality = Belarusian

| name = Ivan Tsikhan

| fullname = Ivan Ryhoravich Tsikhan

| native_name = Іван Рыгоравіч Ціхан

| years_active =

| image = Ivan Tsikhan.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Tsikhan at the 2007 World Championships

| headercolor = lightsteelblue

| birth_date = {{birth-date and age|24 July 1976}}

| birth_place = Hloŭsievičy, Slonim District, Soviet Union[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417173045/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ti/ivan-tikhon-1.html Ivan Tikhon]. sports-reference.com

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = 1.86 m

| weight = 110 kg

| country =

| sport = Athletics

| event = Hammer throw

| club = Dynamo Hrodna

| coach = Sergey LitvinovKoerner, Brendan I. (16 June 2011) [http://www.espn.com/olympics/news/story?id=6656627 "86.74 is going to stand for a long time"]. ESPN

| pb = 84.51 m (2008)

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country | {{BLR}} }}

}}

File:Rio silver medallists 2016 stamp of Belarus.jpg

Ivan Ryhoravich TsikhanAlso spelled as Ivan Grigoryevich Tikhon, {{langx|be|Іва́н Рыго́равіч Ці́хан}}, Łacinka: Ivan Ryhoravič Cichan (born 24 July 1976) is a Belarusian hammer thrower. He is a two-time world champion and an Olympic medalist.

Personal life

Tsikhan was born in the village of Hloŭsievičy, Slonim district, Grodno Region, Belarusian SSR. He now lives in Grodno. His wife Volha is also an athlete, a discus thrower. Ivan and Volha have one son, Ivan. Tsikhan was coached by the former Olympic champion Sergey Litvinov.{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/murofusi-upset-in-hammer-throw-1.394029 |title=Tsikhan's 2003 World Championships win |website=CNC.ca}}

Sport career

Tsikhan competed at his first World Championships in 1997, he reached the final but failed to record a mark. He also failed to do so at the 1998 European Championships, but finished tied for third in the final at the 2000 Olympic Games. He was ranked fourth because he did not have a superior second best. He then finished sixth at the 2001 Summer Universiade and ninth at the 2002 European Championships, and competed at the 2001 World Championships without reaching the final.

The year 2003 was Tsikhan's break out season. He surpassed the 80-metre barrier for the first time. He became world champion for the first time in 2003 in Paris, with a throw of 83.03 meters. He won the 2003 Summer Universiade, and finished third at the inaugural World Athletics Final. He had a best of 84.32 metres, achieved in August in Minsk.

In 2004, At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens Tsikhan won the silver medal with a throw of 79.81 metres, however, after retesting his doping sample in 2012 IOC disqualified him. At the World Athletics Final he took the silver. He had a best of 84.46 metres, achieved in August in Minsk.

In 2005, he came in first at the World Championships and World Athletics Final, but was later stripped of his gold medals from both events because doping violations. In the Belarusian national championship in Brest in July, he came within one centimeter of the world record of 86.74 held by Youri Sedykh since 1986.{{cite web |url=http://www.iaaf.org/WCH05/news/Kind=2/newsId=30090.html |title=Report of Tikhan's 86.73 throw |website=IAAF.org}}

In 2006, Tsikhan won the European Championships. He also finished second at the 2006 World Athletics Final and the 2006 World Cup. His season's best throw was 81.12 metres.

In 2007 Tsikhan won his third World Championships with a throw of 83.64 metres. This was his season's best. He again won the 2007 World Athletics Final.

In 2008, Tsikhan had a season's best of 84.51 metres, achieved in July in Grodno. He finished third at the 2008 Olympic Games with a throw of 81.51 metres.[https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/belarus/ivan-tsikhan-130443 Ivan Tsikhan]. iaaf.org

In 2016, Tsikhan competed for Belarus at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He won silver with a throw of 77.79 metres.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-mens-hammer-throw |title=Men Hammer Throw – Standings |website=Rio 2016 |access-date=22 August 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220185724/https://www.rio2016.com/en/athletics-standings-at-mens-hammer-throw |archive-date=20 December 2016 |df=dmy }} He was the flag bearer for Belarus during the closing ceremony.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/the-flagbearers-for-the-rio-2016-closing-ceremony|title=The Flagbearers for the Rio 2016 Closing Ceremony|date=21 August 2016|access-date=22 August 2016}}

Doping offenses

Both Tsikhan and silver medalist and fellow Belarusian Vadim Devyatovskiy tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone after the hammer throw finals on 12 August 2008 at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Both men were stripped of their medals by the International Olympic Committee and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). If the Court had rejected their appeal, Tsikhan would have served a two-year suspension and been banned from the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=3814098&type=story |title=Belarusians appeal Olympic doping violations |work=ESPN.com |date=6 January 2009 |agency=Associated Press}}

However, In June 2010 the CAS ruled in his favor and due to discrepancies in drug testing he was reawarded his bronze medal.{{cite news |url=http://old.seattletimes.com/html/sports/2012079158_apolydopingbelarus.html |title=CAS Reinstates Medals for Hammer Throwers |date=10 June 2010 |first=Elaine |last=Engeler |agency=Associated Press |work=Seattle Times |access-date=25 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814053233/http://old.seattletimes.com/html/sports/2012079158_apolydopingbelarus.html |archive-date=14 August 2016 |url-status=dead }} The CAS stated that he was not cleared of suspicion, insisting the verdict "should not be interpreted as an exoneration".{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19116807 |title=Olympics 2012 drugs: Hammer thrower withdrawn over Athens test |agency=BBC News Online |access-date=5 August 2012 |date=5 August 2012}}

In May 2012, banned substances were found in Tsikhan's samples from the 2004 Summer Olympics after being retested, he was subsequently withdrawn from the 2012 Summer Games, and he was later disqualified by IOC.{{cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-disqualifies-four-medallists-from-athens-2004-following-further-analysis-of-stored-samples/184931 |title=IOC disqualifies four medallists from Athens 2004 following further analysis of stored samples |date=5 December 2012 |website=Olympic.org}}

Doping sanctions were announced for Tsikhan in the IAAF Newsletter in March 2014: in April 2014, the IAAF confirmed the annulment of all his results between 22 August 2004 and 21 August 2006.