Fatima Whitbread, is a British retired javelin thrower. She broke the world record with a throw of 77.44 m in the qualifying round of the 1986 European Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, and became the first British athlete to set a world record in a throwing event. Whitbread went on to win the European title that year, and took the gold medal at the 1987 World Championships. She is also a two-time Olympic medallist, winning bronze at the 1984 Summer Olympics and silver at the 1988 Summer Olympics. She won the same medals, respectively, in the Commonwealth Games of 1982 and 1986.
Whitbread in 2012
Whitbread won the silver medal behind Petra Felke (pictured in 1984) at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The javelin throw is a track and field event where the javelin, a spear about 2.5 m in length, is thrown as far as possible. The javelin thrower gains momentum by running within a predetermined area. Javelin throwing is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon.
German javelin thrower Thomas Röhler in 2011
German javelin thrower Stephan Steding during the 2007 World Championships in Athletics in Osaka, Japan
Julius Saaristo in 1912 Summer Olympics
Matti Järvinen throwing the javelin at the 1932 Olympics