- Tom Petranoff
Thomas ("Tom") Alan Petranoff (born
April 8 ,1958 inAurora, Illinois ) is a former world record holder in thejavelin throw ; his May,1983 effort was greater than the length of an entireAmerican football field at 99.72 meters (327'2"). Tom Petranoff's world record added precisely three meters to the previous global standard of 96.72, set in1980 byHungary 'sFerenc Paragi . Petranoff's prodigious effort fueled further discussion and speculation regarding the likelihood of alterations to the javelin's design and flight characteristics. Proposed changes would finally take effect in 1986 - following yet another sizable improvement to the javelin world record -East German Uwe Hohn 's incredible throw of 104.80 meters - nearly 344 feet.In 1984, Petranoff won The
Superstars championship with a record score of 61 points. He qualified for the United States Olympic Team, but finished a disappointing 9th in the final in Los Angeles.A native of
Illinois , Petranoff later became a citizen of South Africa and competed for that country in various international competitions.Petranoff is also the inventor of the "Turbo Javelin." This implement is used for javelin practice, especially of the indoor kind. Made of heavy duty plastic and a rubber tip, the turbo javelin is very safe and ideal for indoor practice, and makes a good substitute for younger throwers as the official javelin can be dangerous. It is now used in its own competitions for people of all ages and is great for recreation departments and much more. The world record holder with the turbo javelin is
Breaux Greer of the U.S.A.Petranoff now lives in
Rhode Island ; he has coached for institutions such asBoston University .External links
* [http://www.longandstrong.com/Interviews/petranoff.html Interview]
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