Anna Wojtaszek was born in Krzanowice, Poland. Introduced to athletics at a young age, she quickly developed into a very competent javelin thrower. Her international career began in 1955 at the World International Youth Festival Games in Warsaw. It was encouraging – Anna, then 18, finished fifth with 47.11m. She won the Polish title in 1956 with 49.63m and was selected for the Melbourne Olympic Games. In Melbourne, after qualifying with 44.08m, she improved to 46.92m in the final – good for ninth place. She made the big decision to remain in Australia after the Games and moved to South Australia. She married and then competed as Anna Pazera. She resumed her javelin career and had a best of 45.12m in Adelaide in 1957, but was no longer in the World Top 20.
The following year, and firmly at home in her new country, Anna was back in form and won the Australian Women’s Championships in Sydney with 49.34m. The performance gained her selection for the Australian Team for the 1958 Commonwealth Games. In Cardiff, Anna opened her competition with a modest 46.80m – but it placed her in medal contention. The next two rounds delivered two fouls but clearly no nerves – if there were, they were positive. Anna’s fourth round throw not only took her to first place but also to a huge personal best and, most significantly, a world record of 57.40m. The gold was also hers – she beat South Africa’s Magdalena Swanepoel by almost nine metres. Anna’s mark may have only survived for three months, until Birute Zalagaityte from Latvia threw 9cm further, but she was now a Commonwealth champion and world record setter.
The following year was quieter as there was no Women’s Nationals nor any significant international competitions, but she still threw 50.73m at a meet in Sydney. But 1960 was another Olympic year and much more was on the line. In February in Adelaide, she threw 50.36m and a month later, she won the Women’s Nationals in Hobart with a best of 49.27m. She was subsequently selected for her second Olympics – but this time for Australia. In Rome, Anna qualified with 49.20m and then improved in the final with 51.15m for sixth place. Two Olympics – and twice a finalist.
The next women’s national championships were in January 1962 in Adelaide, and Anna returned to competition with a third place with 41.11m. The selection trials for the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games were held separately to be closer in time to the Games, which were scheduled for the end of the year. At Royal Park, Melbourne in October, Anna won the trial with 45.25m and was selected for the Games. In Perth, she threw 48.68m to finish third behind English duo Sue Platt and Rosemary Morgan. The national women’s association (AWAAU) then finally decided to have annual national championships instead of biennial. In 1963, the championships were held at Lang Park, Brisbane, and Anna retained her title with 51.06m. The following year, she won again in Melbourne in wet and windy conditions with 48.35m. It meant that Anna was off to Japan for her third Olympics. In Tokyo, she could only manage 44.87m, and this time there was no finals appearance.
Anna missed the 1965 Nationals but regained her title in Sydney in 1966 with 51.52m and gained selection for a third Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica. Anna threw 47.80m on her opening throw at the Games and it held up for a silver medal behind teammate Margaret Parker. She now had the full set of Commonwealth medals. Anna continued her throwing career, winning the 1967 national title again in Hobart with 51.28m and finishing third a year later in Adelaide with 50.37m behind US visitor Barbara Friedrichs and Yugoslavia’s Natasa Urbancic. However, this time there was no Olympic selection for Anna.
Anna retired from the sport after an outstanding career, which included a world record, two Olympic finals out of three appearances, three Commonwealth medals, and six national titles. Her personal best was that magnificent world record throw of 57.40m. She was bestowed with the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
Paul Jenes OAM
Athletics Australia Statistician
President ATFS
Acknowledgements:
Athletics Australia Historical Results: Peter Hamilton, Paul Jenes, Fletcher McEwen, David Tarbotton;
Official Reports of the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympic Games;
Official Reports of the 1958, 1962, and 1966 Commonwealth Games;
Athletics at the Commonwealth Games: Rob Whittingham, Paul Jenes, Stan Greenberg;
Progression of IAAF World Records 2011. Edited by Imre Matrahazi;
Athletics Statistics Olympic Book: Mark Butler;
Athletics SA, A Centennial Chronicle 1905-2005: Fletcher McEwen
