Javelin star to compete at Auckland

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 52

Javelin star to compete at Auckland

PA Auckland A former United States world javelin record-holder, Tom Petranoff, has agreed to compete in the Robin Tait Memorial athletic meeting in Auckland on February 1. Petranoff hopes to regain the world record he lost to East Germany’s Uwe Hohn. It could be the American’s last opportunity to regain the record for a newstyle javelin is to be introduced on April 1 which is expected to reduce the distance of throws by as much as 10 metres.

The North Shore Bays club which is staging the memorial meeting had invited the 1984 Olympic silver medallist in the javelin, Britain’s David Ottley, as its guest overseas competitor but Ottley was not available.

“Tom has accepted our invitation. He says he’s in

great shape.and is keen to have a shot at regaining the world record,” said North Shore Bays club president, Graeme Avery, yesterday.

Petranoff could be accused of dreaming a little if he believes he will break Hohn’s world record in Auckland. The record is a remarkable 104.80 m (343 ft lOin) while Petranoffs former world record and career best, set in June, 1983, is 99.72 m (327 ft 2in). The American’s longest throw this year is 91.56 m (300 ft sin). Petranoff, however, will provide ideal competition for New Zealand’s three leading javelin throwers — the 1982 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Mike O’Rourke, Canterbury’s national champion, John Stapylton-Smith, and Waikato’s national junior champion and recordholder, Gavin Lovegrove.