Petra Rivers (born 11 December 1952) is a retired

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-devel ...

who specialised in the javelin throw. At the 1970

National Championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...

, she won both the Open and Junior javelin titles. Still only seventeen, it was her fourth national junior javelin championship win. Her performances earned her a place in the Australian team for the

1970 Commonwealth Games The 1970 British Commonwealth Games (Scottish Gaelic: Geamannan a 'Cho-fhlaitheis Bhreatainn 1970) were held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 16 to 25 July 1970. This was the first time the name British Commonwealth Games was adopted, the first time ...

where she comfortably won the gold medal in Edinburgh. In late 1971, she threw Australian and World Junior records of 61.76 and 62.24 metres, in quick succession but injury kept her out of the 1972 national titles and Olympic Games. She recovered to repeat her Commonwealth Games gold medal win in Auckland but continuing injuries forced her retirement from the sport, at age 22, in 1975. Four years later, Rivers returned from retirement and gained Olympic selection for the

1980 Moscow Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics (russian: Летние Олимпийские игры 1980, Letniye Olimpiyskiye igry 1980), officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad (russian: Игры XXII Олимпиады, Igry XXII Olimpiady) and commo ...

. She won the 1982 national championships with a huge national record throw of 69.28 metres and took the silver medal at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games behind team-mate Sue Howland. Rivers went on to compete in the 1984 LA Olympics and 1986 Commonwealth Games.

Australian athletics champions (Women) Australian Athletics Championships for women have been conducted since 1930.Petra Rivers
at Australian Athletics Historical Results
1952 births Living people Olympic athletes for Australia Australian female javelin throwers Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Australia Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics Athletes (track and field) at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1982 Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1986 Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games Medallists at the 1982 Commonwealth Games Place of birth missing (living people) {{Australia-athletics-bio-stub

See also