How cricket fueled Anderson Peters' javelin power
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 05.06.25. | 18:11
The 27-year-old's background as a fast bowler gave him an edge as he combined explosive strength with technical delivery
Before he became a double world champion and Olympic bronze medalist, Grenada’s (pronounced Greh-nay-da) Anderson Peters was just another Caribbean boy with a cricket bat in hand and dreams of donning the West Indies jersey.
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A talented all-rounder, Peters was a fast bowler and big hitter. This was a natural path, considering cricket’s dominance in the Caribbean. But fate had a different plan.
“I started my sporting career as a cricketer. My dream was to play for the West Indies team. But, you know, track and field grabbed hold of me even before I could do that,” Peters recalled.
His entry into athletics was broad. He dabbled in everything from sprints to jumps and even flirted with becoming a decathlete. But it was javelin that eventually called him home.
The 27-year-old's background as a fast bowler gave him an edge as he combined explosive strength with technical delivery. The transition was natural.
“Because I was a fast bowler already, it was easy to transition into being a javelin thrower. When I got into track and field, I was doing almost all events.
At one time, I thought I would be a decathlon athlete, but that wasn’t my calling,” he said.
With time, his choice paid off. He began recording remarkable year-on-year improvements, even adding 10 meters annually to his throw.
His dedication and growth propelled him to global stardom, and he has since clinched two World Championship titles and secured a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
On Saturday, 31 May, Peters made a stop in Nairobi for the Kip Keino Classic, where he finished seventh. He, however, explained that beyond the competition, there was a personal reason for coming to Kenya.
He grew up idolising Julius Yego. The YouTube Man achieved a personal best of 92.72 meters at the Beijing World Championships in August 2015, a throw that also set the African record.
“Seeing Yego compete in 2015 at the World Championships gave me the push to start dreaming. We have talked, and he motivates me.
Being in Kenya feels like coming full circle, it’s a great showcase of African talent,” he offered.
Peters launched his 2025 campaign in March at the Grenada Championships, claiming top honours with a modest 74.90m throw.
He then opened his Diamond League season in Doha on Friday, 16 May, with an impressive 85.64m, placing third behind Germany’s Julian Weber and 2020 Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra of India.
Peters finished third on Friday, 23 May, with an 83.24m throw at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial in Chorzów, Poland, before booking that flight to Kenya.
At the Kipkeino Classic held on Saturday, 31 May, he faded off to seventh place with a throw of 77:49m. This was a decline from the 2023 edition at the Kasarani Stadium in his maiden appearance, where he finished second.
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