Tom Petranoff
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Thomas Alan Petranoff | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 8, 1958 Aurora, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 109 kg (240 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal bests | 99.72 m (old implement) NR 89.16 m (1991) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Thomas Alan Petranoff (born April 8, 1958) is a retired American
Career
Petranoff's world record added precisely three meters to the previous global standard of 96.72 m, set in 1980 by Hungary's
Petranoff's mark with the old javelin design was never exceeded by any throw other than Hohn's mark. He also did well with the new design; his personal best of 89.16, thrown at
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 10th 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.
Personal life
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 California; he has coached for institutions such as Boston University.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing the 
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| 1984 | Olympic Games | Los Angeles, United States
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10th | 78.40 m |
| 1986 | Goodwill Games | Moscow, Soviet Union
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1st | 83.46 m |
| 1987 | World Championships | Rome, Italy
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4th | 81.28 m |
| 1988 | Olympic Games | Seoul, South Korea
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18th (q) | 77.48 m |
Representing  South Africa
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| 1992 | African Championships | Mauritius | 1st | 87.26 m |
| 1993 | World Championships | Stuttgart, Germany
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22nd (q) | 75.26 m |
| African Championships | Durban, South Africa
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1st | 82.40 m | |
| Representing the
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| 1999 | Pan American Games | Winnipeg, Canada
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3rd | 75.95 m |
References
- ^ a b Erich Bremicker. "Why did the senior javelin specification have to be changed?".
