Born into a sporting family, Makarov's father, Aleksandr Makarov, won the silver medal in javelin throw at the 1980 Summer Olympics. Makarov's personal best of 92.61 metres was achieved in 2002 in Sheffield. Facing tough competition from Jan *elezn*, Steve Backley and others, Makarov did not win any major competition until 2003, when he became world champion at the age of 30.
Steve Backley
Makarov