Born in London in the United Kingdom in 1972, Queenslander Joanna Stone’s first notable pathway competition was the 1987 Australian All-Schools Championships in Brisbane where she finished fifth in the under 17 javelin – nearly 15 metres behind the winning throw of almost 51 metres. The All-Schools were then the major competition for youth athletes in Australia and Joanna was back the following year in Canberra. Her skills were clearly advancing – taking the bronze medals in both the under 17 and
under 19 javelin titles with 44.02m and 44.14m respectively. She continued to advance through that summer season, throwing 46.70m to win the national under 18 title at home in Brisbane in March 1989, also finishing fourth, but third Australian in the under 20 championship. At the following year’s Nationals, took silver in the under 20 Championships and was accordingly selected in the augmented national team to the World Junior Championships. The then Athletics Australia junior policy was to select two athletes in every event – even where they had not met the IAAF entry standard to compete in the World Juniors.
This still provided opportunity as there were extensive tours and lead-up meets even for those who eventually did not obtain the standard. Joanna competed well in the UK with the junior team and finished seventh in the British WAAA championships. Unfortunately, she did not attain the IAAF entry mark and was not added to the team to compete in the 1990 Plovdiv World Junior Championships but did gain valuable international experience. Joanna was Queensland champion in 1991 but did not contest the Nationals that year. She garnered bronze in her final Junior Nationals in 1992 but more notably she threw 50.32m in finishing fifth overall and second Australian to collect silver in the senior championships.
A first major Games team came in 1994 when Joanna was selected for the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. She threw 57.60m and finished just outside the medals where the dais included her two emerging rivals in Oceania – fellow Australian and gold medallist Louise McPaul and silver medal winning Kiwi Kirsten Hellier. Things really started to motor in 1995. Although missing the Nationals, Joanna was still selected for the World Championships in Goteborg, Sweden after producing some quality throws during the rest of the domestic season including a then personal best of 64.22m in Sydney in February and again there in March with 62.78m. In the lead-up to the Worlds, there were more promising results with two competitions over 63 metres. She threw only 59.52m in the qualifying round which whilst short of the automatic advancement mark was good enough for the final as she was in 12th place overall. Joanna was back in her best form for the final throwing 63.74m for fifth place. That result provided much confidence and post-Goteborg they were fine results for second placings in Zurich and Linz, the latter meet raising her personal best to 66.28m.
The season finished with a third in Brussels. Joanna was selected for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games but hampered by injury she could only manage 58.54m in the qualifying round and this time did not progress to the final. But things improved markedly in 1997 – culminating with a brilliant silver medal at the IAAF World Championships in Athens with a throw of 68.64m. Topping her qualifying pool with 67.32m, Joanna lowered her colours in the final to the great Norwegian Trine Hattestad – but only just – with a mere 14cm proving to be the winning margin. Joanna threw over 68 metres three times in the final, her worst trial being 64.68m. Her good form continued into 1998. Joanna was selected for the IAAF World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa where she set a new national record of 69.85m to win despite being able to take only two attempts during the competition. Unfortunately, she had injured her elbow and was forced to pull out of the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games which followed immediately thereafter.
Elbow surgery and back problems kept her out of competition until a Pre-Olympic Selection Trials meet in Nudgee in July 2000 where she threw 62.66m – enough to qualify for the Sydney Olympics. Her back injury returned during the Trials, but she did enough to be selected. Joanna competed in the Sydney Olympics but still not over injury she could only manage 58.34m in the qualifying round and missed the final. Joanna married in 2000 and continued her career as a police officer after “retiring” from athletics. However, in December 2005 there was a brief comeback ahead of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games, starting with a 57.56m throw at the Gold Coast.
Joanna continued competing and finished with bronze at the 2006 National Championships. Joanna’s career finally came to an end. During her career she was a member of Mayne Harriers and had been coached different times by Lachlan Penfold, Kelvin Giles and Mike Frawley.
Joanna’s personal best was 69.85m in 1998 which remained the national record when the specifications of the women’s javelin changed markedly in 1999. The transition involved a repositioning of the implement’s centre of gravity to ensure it landed point-first more regularly for more athletes.
Despite having only a short career with the new implement, Joanna remained, as of early 2022, fifth ranked all-time in an event in which Australia has seen much success – including those of Joanna.
Paul Jenes OAM Athletics Australia Statistician President ATFS Acknowledgements: Official Results Commonwealth Games Victoria 1994; IAAF Official Results World Championships – Goteborg 1995, Athens 1997; IAAF Official Results – World Cup 1998; Official Results Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; Athletics Australia 2001 Season Guide; Paul Jenes – Fields of Green Lanes of Gold, The Story of Athletics in Australia; Brian Roe
