Erik de Bruin

Who is Erik de Bruin?

Erik de Bruin is a retired Dutch discus thrower and shot putter. He held the Dutch national record in shot put from 1986 to 2005, and his 68.12 m discus throw record of 1 April 1991 still stands today.

The older brother of discus thrower Corrie de Bruin, he was Holland's leading discus thrower and shot putter in the 1980s and early 1990s. He participated in the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics, reaching 8th places at the 1984 shot put, and 9th place at the 1988 discus throw event. He was most successful in discus throw, winning silver medals at the 1989 Summer Universiade and 1990 European Championships, and a silver medal at the 1991 World Championships.

De Bruin failed a sports drug test in 1993, but was cleared by the disciplinary committee of the Dutch Athletics Federation. The international athletics federation didn't accept this ruling and banned him for four years. In the account of the events surrounding the test and appeal, in his wife's book, it is maintained that finances had prevented De Bruin from appealing the conviction and ban fully to prove his innocence.

Erik and Michelle Smith-de Bruin and their two children live in Kells, Ireland, where Michelle practices as a barrister. Michelle controversially won Olympic gold medals for swimming, while being trained by Erik, and was later banned for urine sample tampering. Erik's younger sister Corrie de Bruin is a former Olympic discus thrower.