Alf Mitchell
Alfred Edward "Alf" Mitchell[1] (born 18 May 1941)[2] is an Australian former track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He was just 21 when he won the gold medal at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia. His throw of 78.11m (256 ft 3in) was a new games record. Incumbent champion Colin Smith won the silver medal & another Australian, Nick Birks took the bronze. He was the second Australian champion in the event, after James Achurch.[3]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
| Representing Australia | ||
| British Empire and Commonwealth Games | ||
| 1962 Perth | Javelin throw | |
Mitchell was champion at the Australian Athletics Championships in 1962. He was runner-up in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1964. He was a former Australian junior record holder.[4]
This promising career was cut short by injury. He later took up coaching, training regional thrower Mary Thomas,[5] among others.
References edit
- ^ Games Results for Alfred Edward Mitchell 25 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 2016-03-17.
- ^ Alf Mitchell. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved on 2016-03-17.
- ^ Commonwealth Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-17.
- ^ Athletic Details. The Sydney Morning Herald (1960-01-10), pg. 41. Retrieved on 2016-03-17.
- ^ Mary Thomas still competing 53 years after her country championship debut. NSW Athletics (2014-01-22). Retrieved on 2016-03-17.