Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Susan Mary "Sue" Platt (born 4 October 1940) is a British former track and field athlete who competed for England and Great Britain in the javelin throw. She was a three-time Olympian and competed three times at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. She had a personal best of 55.60 m (182 ft 4 ⁄4 in) and was Commonwealth champion in 1962.
Career
Born and educated at Copthall County Grammar School in Mill Hill in the London suburb of Barnet, she joined the London Olympiades athletics club, which was the country's leading all-women's club. Platt emerged at national level in 1959 with a win in the javelin at the Women's AAA Championships. She went on to take seven national titles in women's javelin at the AAA Championships in the 1960s, beginning in 1960 and her last coming in 1969. She also took three titles at the regional South of England Championships.
Platt made three appearances at the Summer Olympics – 1960, 1964 and 1968 – being Great Britain's leading female javelin thrower in the 1960s. Her best finish and performance was on her debut in 1960, where she came seventh with a mark of 51.01 m (167 ft 4 ⁄4 in). She was among the best throwers of the period outside of Eastern Europe. She performed poorly at the 1962 European Athletics Championships, however, coming last in qualifying.
She was a three-time participant for England at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Her first outing in 1958 saw her finish in fourth place, one spot behind England teammate Averil Williams, but over ten metres behind winner Anna Pazera, who set a world record. With a throw of 50.26 m (164 ft 10 ⁄2 in), Platt topped the podium at the 1962 games, where Pazera fell to third in the rankings and Rosemary Morgan made it a 1–2 for England. Platt also competed in the shot put at that event, coming eighth in the final. In her third and final appearance for England, Platt placed sixth overall.
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Cardiff, Wales | 4th | Javelin throw | 45.38 m |
| 1960 | Olympic Games | Rome, Italy | 7th | Javelin throw | 51.01 m |
| 1962 | European Championships | Belgrade, Yugoslavia | 14th (q) | Javelin throw | 44.17 m |
| British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Perth, Western Australia | 8th | Shot put | 11.53 m | |
| 1st | Javelin throw | 50.26 m | |||
| 1964 | Olympic Games | Tokyo, Japan | 9th | Javelin throw | 48.59 m |
| 1966 | British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Kingston, Jamaica | 6th | Javelin throw | 42.27 m |
| 1968 | Olympic Games | Mexico City, Mexico | 15th | Javelin throw | 48.52 m |
National titles
- AAA Championships
- Javelin throw: 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969
- Women's AAA Championships
- Javelin throw: 1959
- South of England Championships
- Javelin throw: 1960, 1961, 1964