Sophia Rivera Qualifies For Olympic Trials With No. 3 All-Time Javelin Throw

Apr 19, 2016

Sophia Rivera threw the javelin for 180 feet, 4 inches last night at her home meet, the Brentwood Invitational in Missouri, to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials and move to No. 3 on the U.S. All-Time List.

The University of Wisconsin recruit improved upon her own U.S. No. 1 mark for 2016 by nearly 20 feet. The Olympic Trials standard is is 54m/177-2.0.

"I didn't have a specific time in the season I wanted this to come, I just knew I wanted it. I wasn't expecting it this early in the season," Rivera said to David Kvidahl of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "Coming out here today and popping it out, it was unexpected and phenomenal and I'm over the moon."

"It's indescribable. This has been an ongoing dream of mine to not only qualify, but hopefully go to the Olympics some time. I'm making headway on that and it's unbelievable."

The throw that officially qualified @sophia_rivera13 into the @usatf Olympic trials, 180-4. #motrack pic.twitter.com/9klZ2W1JAt
-- David Kvidahl :black_nib::telephone: (@DavidSTLhss) April 19, 2016

Her throw was so far that it broke the paper tape measure, reports Kvidahl.

The Brentwood High School senior also won the shot put in 51-5, the nation's second-best mark this year, and the discus in 151-5, the No. 13 throw in the nation for 2016.

Her javelin mark of 54.96m ranks fifth in the United States this year; the Olympic standard is 62.00 meters.

Rivera will compete at the Kansas Relays this weekend, to be streamed live on FloTrack.

How to Qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials