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Tania Van Heer

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Tania Van Heer
Personal information
Full nameTania Van Heer
NationalityAustralian
CitizenshipAustralian
Born (1970-12-30) 30 December 1970 (age 53)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sport
CountryAustralia
Sport100 metres
4 × 100 metres relay
4 × 400 metres relay
Achievements and titles
Commonwealth finals1998
Medal record
Representing  Australia
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place Kuala Lumpur 1998 4x100 m Relay
Gold medal – first place Kuala Lumpur 1998 4x400 m Relay
Bronze medal – third place Kuala Lumpur 1998 100 metres
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place Maebashi 1999 4x400 m Relay

Tania Van Heer (born 30 December 1970) is an Australian sprinter who won two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Athletics career

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A junior prodigy, born in Sri Lanka (her Sri Lankan 200m women Under 18 record that established in 1986 with 24.8s held for 32 years until it was broken by Shelinda Jansen in 2018), Van Heer won the Under-20 sprint treble (100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres) at the 1988 Australian Championships in Athletics.[1]

Badly affected by injury through most of her career,[2] Van Heer was selected to represent Australia internationally on six occasions.[1]

During her best years (1998–99), when coached by 1950 Commonwealth Games gold medalist,[3] Scotchy Gordon, Van Heer won a bronze medal over 100 metres at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, followed by two gold medals as part of Australia's victorious 4 × 100 metres and 4 × 400 metres relay teams.[1]

In 1999, although again hampered by injuries, Van Heer 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 × 400 metres relay for Australia.[1]

Van Heer was again injured during 2000 and was unable to qualify for Australia's Olympic team.[4]

Van Heer attempted an international comeback in 2006 for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, having had children by that time. Despite finishing fourth in the official 100 metres trial, she was not chosen in the Games team.

Personal life

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Her son Aidan Murphy is also an athlete who competes in sprint events and represented Australia in the 200 metres at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.[5][6]

Relay teams

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Van Heer has won a number of international medals in 4 × 100 metre and 4 × 400 metre relays:[1]

Statistics

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Personal bests

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  • as at 10 March 2008[7]
Event Time Place Date
100 m 11.29 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 17 September 1998
200 m 22.42 Canberra, Australia 6 February 1999
400 m 51.28 Melbourne, Australia 19 March 1999
800 m 2-06.83 Adelaide, Australia 26 February 1995

Yearly progression

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  • as at 10 March 2008[7]
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

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e [1] [dead link]
  2. ^ "Tania Van Heer - Athletics Gold". 27 October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  3. ^ [2] [dead link]
  4. ^ "BBC SPORT | ATHLETICS-TRACK | Aussies drop Van Heer". News.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Murphy selected in squad for World Athletics Championships". Adelaideunisport.com.au.
  6. ^ "Tania Van Heer's Teenage Son Aidan Murphy Set For Melbourne Track Classic Debut". Heraldsun.com.au. Retrieved 11 August 2022. (subscription required)
  7. ^ a b [3] [dead link]
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