Photo: Photographer for the Governor-General of Australia (https://www.gg.gov.au/events/nova-peris-girls-academy-darwin)—CC BY 3.0
Nova Peris-Kneebone
- Born
- Feb 25, 1971 (55 years old)
- Birthplace
- Darwin, Australia
- Events
- 200 m · 400 m
- Height
- 1.70 m
Nova Maree Peris (born 25 February 1971) is an Aboriginal Australian athlete and former politician.
As part of the Australian women's field hockey (Hockeyroos) team at the 1996 Olympic Games, she was the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal.
She later switched sports to sprinting and went to the 1998 Commonwealth Games and 2000 Olympic Games. She was elected to the Australian Senate at the 2013 federal election, after then Prime Minister Julia Gillard named her as a "captain's pick", installing her as the preselected Labor candidate over incumbent Labor senator Trish Crossin. She retired from the Senate in 2016.
As of Nov 6, 2026: 200 m 22.70 (#495 all-time), 400 m 51.28 (#533 all-time), 2003 season best 12.27 (Feb 15, 2003, Campbelltown (AUS)) · Area record (4 × 400 m) · 55 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →* Wind-assisted (> 2.0 m/s)
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 100m | 12.27 | +1.2 | Feb 15, 2003 | Campbelltown (AUS) |
| 2001 | 100m | 11.63 | +1.4 | Feb 18, 2001 | Canberra (AUS) |
| 2001 | 200m | 23.09 | +2.7 | Jul 18, 2001 | Brisbane (AUS) |
| 2001 | 300m | 37.65 | – | Jul 30, 2001 | Calgary (CAN) |
| 2001 | 400m | 52.04 | – | Jul 20, 2001 | Monte Carlo Herculis |
| 2000 | 100m | 11.18 | +3.0 | Mar 18, 2000 | Roodeport (RSA) |
| 2000 | 200m | 22.70 | +2.8 | Mar 18, 2000 | Roodeport (RSA) |
| 2000 | 300m | 36.83 | – | Sep 14, 2000 | Sydney (AUS) |