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Petra Rivers

b. 1952

Australian javelin thrower

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About Petra Rivers

Born 1952. Petra Rivers is an Australian athletics competitor and javelin thrower.

Petra Rivers (born 11 December 1952) is a retired Australian athlete who specialised in the javelin throw.

At the 1970 National Championships, 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 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. 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.

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Important facts

People in Petra Rivers's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Petra Rivers's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Petra Rivers?

Australian javelin thrower

When was Petra Rivers born?

Petra Rivers was born on 11 December 1952.

What is Petra Rivers's occupation?

Petra Rivers is an athletics competitor and javelin thrower.

What nationality is Petra Rivers?

Petra Rivers is Australian.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Petra Rivers

Β· Wikidata: Q7178659

Β· DBpedia: Petra Rivers

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Petra Rivers. https://biography.guide/petra-rivers/

MLA: "Petra Rivers." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/petra-rivers/.

Chicago: "Petra Rivers." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/petra-rivers/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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