Tania Van Heer
Encyclopedia
Tania Van Heer (born December 30, 1970) is an Australia
n sprinter who won two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
in Kuala Lumpur
.
, Van Heer won the Under-20 sprint treble (100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres) at the 1988 Australian Championships in Athletics
.
Badly affected by injury through most of her career, she was selected to represent Australia internationally on six occasions.
During her best years (1998–99), when coached by 1950 Commonwealth Games
gold medalist, Scotchy Gordon, she won a bronze medal over 100 metres
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
, followed by two gold medals as part of Australia's victorious 4 x 100 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay teams.
In 1999, although again hampered by injuries, she ran in the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
, just failing to make the final of the 200 metres
. She also ran well in the 4 x 400 metres relay for Australia.
Van Heer was again injured during 2000 and was unable to qualify for Australia's Olympic team.
After becoming a mother, Tania attempted an international comeback in 2006 for the Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne. Despite finishing 4th in the official 100 metres
trial, Murphy was not chosen in the Games team.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n sprinter who won two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
.
Athletics career
A junior prodigy, born in Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Van Heer won the Under-20 sprint treble (100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres) at the 1988 Australian Championships in Athletics
Australian Championships in Athletics
The Australian Athletics Championships or Australian Open Track and Field Championships are held annually to determine Australia's champion athletes in a range of athletics events. The championships are the primary qualification trial for athletes wishing to compete at the Olympic Games,...
.
Badly affected by injury through most of her career, she was selected to represent Australia internationally on six occasions.
During her best years (1998–99), when coached by 1950 Commonwealth Games
1950 British Empire Games
The 1950 British Empire Games was the fourth edition of what is now called the Commonwealth Games. It was held in Auckland, New Zealand between the 4th and 11th of February 1950, after a 12-year gap from the 3rd edition of the games...
gold medalist, Scotchy Gordon, she won a bronze medal over 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, followed by two gold medals as part of Australia's victorious 4 x 100 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay teams.
In 1999, although again hampered by injuries, she ran in the 1999 World Championships in Athletics
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
, just failing to make the final of the 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
. She also ran well in the 4 x 400 metres relay for Australia.
Van Heer was again injured during 2000 and was unable to qualify for Australia's Olympic team.
After becoming a mother, Tania attempted an international comeback in 2006 for the Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne. Despite finishing 4th in the official 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
trial, Murphy was not chosen in the Games team.
Relay Teams
Tania has won a number of international medals in 4 x 100 metre and 4 x 400 metre relays:- In Kuala Lumpur 19981998 Commonwealth GamesThe 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, Van Heer led off the Australian 4 x 100 metres relay team of Lauren HewittLauren HewittLauren Katherine Hewitt is a track and field sprinter from Australia. She competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996, and won the bronze medal in the women's 200 metres at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.-References:* * *...
, Nova Peris-KneeboneNova Peris-KneeboneNova Maree Peris, AO, is an Australian athlete. She was a representative in the Australian Women's Hockey team at the 1996 Summer Olympics becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal.In 1997, she switched sports to athletics and a year later she became a double gold...
and Sharon Cripps to win the Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
event.
- Shortly afterwards, Van Heer joined with Lee NaylorLee Naylor (athlete)Lee Michelle Naylor is a retired middle-distance runner from Australia. She qualified to the quarterfinals in the 400 metres at the 1996 Summer Olympics before finishing 8th and ran on her national 4x400 metres relay team that finished 6th in the qualifying round...
, Tamsyn LewisTamsyn LewisTamsyn Carolyn Lewis is an Australian athlete and middle-distance runner, who has won a total of seventeen Australian Championships at 400 metres, 800 metres and 400m hurdles....
and Susan Andrews to win the 4 x 400 metres relay in a time of 3-27.28s.
- At the 1999 World Indoor Championships1999 IAAF World Indoor ChampionshipsThe 7th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the Green Dome Maebashi stadium in Maebashi, Japan from March 5 to March 7, 1999. It was the first time the Championships were staged outside Europe or North America. Primo Nebiolo, president of the IAAF, characterized the...
in Maebashi, Van Heer combined with Susan Andrews, Tamsyn LewisTamsyn LewisTamsyn Carolyn Lewis is an Australian athlete and middle-distance runner, who has won a total of seventeen Australian Championships at 400 metres, 800 metres and 400m hurdles....
and Cathy FreemanCathy FreemanCatherine Astrid Salome "Cathy" Freeman, OAM is former Australian sprinter, who specialised in the 400 metres event. She became the Olympic champion for the women's 400 metres at the 2000 Summer Olympics, at which she lit the Olympic Flame.Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal...
to win a silver medal in an Australian record of 3-26.87.
Personal Bests
- as at 10 March 2008
Event Time Place Date 100 m 11.29 Kuala Lumpur Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia17 September 1998 200 m 22.42 Canberra CanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
6 February 1999 400 m 51.28 Melbourne MelbourneMelbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
19 March 1999 800 m 2-06.83 Adelaide AdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...26 February 1995
Yearly Progression
- as at 10 March 2008
Year 100m 200m 400m 1989 11.67 23.88 1990 1991 11.57 23.79 53.16 1992 11.90 23.82 54.05 1993 11.74 23.56 1994 11.7 24.7 1995 11.99 24.39 52.97 1996 11.58 1997 11.56 23.68 53.45 1998 11.29 22.93 52.44 1999 11.53 22.42 51.28 2000 11.39 23.24 52.55 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 12.00 24.2 2006 11.67 23.90 56.55