Pamela's Story
Pamela “Pam” Matthews was one of Australia’s leading javelin throwers during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Victorian athlete won the Australian junior title in 1975 before securing four consecutive senior national championships from 1977 to 1980. She also won gold at the 1977 Pacific Conference Games and represented Australia at two World Cups and two World University Games.
Matthews was 22 when she made her Olympic debut at Moscow 1980. Competing in the women’s javelin, she recorded a qualifying throw of 55.72 metres and finished 16th overall, missing a place in the final. Her personal best of 65.74m, achieved in 1979, ranked her among Australia’s foremost throwers of the era.
Matthews continued competing nationally and internationally after the Olympics. At the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games, she threw 55.16m to finish fourth, narrowly missing the medals. She later returned to the Australian championships and placed second in 1985.
