Melinda Gainsford-Taylor
Encyclopedia
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (born 1 October 1971 in Narromine, New South Wales
) is a retired Australia
n athlete, who specialised in sprint
events.
In 1995 Gainsford-Taylor won the World Indoor championship over 200 m
. During her career she also won international medal
s at the World Championships
and Commonwealth Games
.
in the small north west country town Trangie
in New South Wales. At fourteen years of age Melinda moved to a Sydney to board
at St Vincent's College, Potts Point
, in order to train and be closer to her coach/trainer Jackie Byrnes.
In 1989, she won the first of three consecutive Australian Junior 100 m
titles, also winning the Junior 200 m championships in 1989 and 1991.
At the 1990 World Junior Championships
Gainsford reached the semi-finals of both the 100 and 200 metres sprints and assisted the Australian 4 x 100 metres relay
team to a new national junior record of 45.01 seconds.
In 1993, she won a silver medal
at the World Indoor Championships
, but later in the season broke down in the 100 m semi-finals of the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
.
During 1994, Gainsford won a bronze medal
at the Commonwealth Games
behind her arch-rival Cathy Freeman
and set an Australian record for 100 m of 11.12. A year later, she won the 200 m at the 1995 World Indoor Championships in Athletics and took home a bronze medal from the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
as part of the Australian 4 x 400 m relay team.
In 1997, defending her World Indoor crown, Gainsford was disqualified for running out of her lane in the semi-final of the 200 m. Later in the year, she made up for that disappointment with a new Australian record of 22.23 seconds. Soon after, Gainsford reached her first individual outdoor final at the Athens World Championships
, placing 7th in the 200 m final.
The latter part of her career was hampered by injury. Running with knee problems, she famously broke down metres before the finish when in first place during the 200 m race at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
.
During her career, she won a total of thirteen individual open titles - two at 100 yards, six at 100 metres and five over 200 metres.
At her third Olympic Games at Sydney 2000 she made the final of the 200 m sprint, placing 6th, and assisted the Australian 4 x 400 m relay team to a fifth place finish and a new national record.
Still holding Australian records at 100 m and 200 m, and sharing in 4 x 100 m and 4 x 400 m relay records, Gainsford-Taylor retired in 2002.
Melinda now works with Little Athletics New South Wales visiting schools.
of the same name) and the couple have two children, Nicholas and Gabriella.
Personal Bests - indoor
Relays
Indoor
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
) is a retired Australia
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 athlete, who specialised in sprint
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
events.
In 1995 Gainsford-Taylor won the World Indoor championship over 200 m
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...
. During her career she also won international medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s at the World Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
and Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The 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....
.
Junior career
Gainsford-Taylor started her athletic career at the age of nine when she was running with Little AthleticsLittle Athletics
Little Athletics is an Australian activity which introduces children aged 5 to 15 to sport through modified athletics events....
in the small north west country town Trangie
Trangie, New South Wales
Trangie is a small country town in regional New South Wales. It is part of Narromine Shire Local Government Area. At the 2006 census, Trangie had a population of 866....
in New South Wales. At fourteen years of age Melinda moved to a Sydney to board
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
at St Vincent's College, Potts Point
Potts Point, New South Wales
Potts Point is a small, densely-populated suburb of inner-city Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Potts Point is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney....
, in order to train and be closer to her coach/trainer Jackie Byrnes.
In 1989, she won the first of three consecutive Australian Junior 100 m
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...
titles, also winning the Junior 200 m championships in 1989 and 1991.
At the 1990 World Junior Championships
1990 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1990 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.-Men:-Women:-Medals table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com...
Gainsford reached the semi-finals of both the 100 and 200 metres sprints and assisted the Australian 4 x 100 metres relay
4 x 100 metres relay
The 4 × 100 metres relay or sprint relay is an athletics track event run in lanes over one lap of the track with four runners completing 100 metres each. The first runners begin in the same stagger as for the individual 400 m race...
team to a new national junior record of 45.01 seconds.
Senior career
Melinda won the first of five 100 m/200 m sprint doubles at the 1992 Australian National Championships and won selection in the Olympic team, where she made the semi-finals of the 200 m.In 1993, she won a silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
at the World Indoor Championships
IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
The International Association of Athletics Federations World Indoor Championships were inaugurated as the World Indoor Games in 1985 in Paris, France and were subsequently renamed in 1987 as they are known today.-History:...
, but later in the season broke down in the 100 m semi-finals of the 1993 World Championships in Athletics
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
.
During 1994, Gainsford won a bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The 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....
behind her arch-rival Cathy Freeman
Cathy Freeman
Catherine 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...
and set an Australian record for 100 m of 11.12. A year later, she won the 200 m at the 1995 World Indoor Championships in Athletics and took home a bronze medal from the 1995 World Championships in Athletics
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
as part of the Australian 4 x 400 m relay team.
In 1997, defending her World Indoor crown, Gainsford was disqualified for running out of her lane in the semi-final of the 200 m. Later in the year, she made up for that disappointment with a new Australian record of 22.23 seconds. Soon after, Gainsford reached her first individual outdoor final at the Athens World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
, placing 7th in the 200 m final.
The latter part of her career was hampered by injury. Running with knee problems, she famously broke down metres before the finish when in first place during the 200 m race 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...
.
During her career, she won a total of thirteen individual open titles - two at 100 yards, six at 100 metres and five over 200 metres.
At her third Olympic Games at Sydney 2000 she made the final of the 200 m sprint, placing 6th, and assisted the Australian 4 x 400 m relay team to a fifth place finish and a new national record.
Still holding Australian records at 100 m and 200 m, and sharing in 4 x 100 m and 4 x 400 m relay records, Gainsford-Taylor retired in 2002.
Melinda now works with Little Athletics New South Wales visiting schools.
Family life
Melinda is married to Mark Taylor (not the former Australian Cricket CaptainMark Taylor (cricketer)
Mark Anthony Taylor, AO is a former Australian cricket player and Test opening batsman from 1988–1999, as well as captain from 1994–1999, succeeding Allan Border...
of the same name) and the couple have two children, Nicholas and Gabriella.
Statistics
Personal Bests - outdoor| Event | Time | Wind | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Yards | 10.4 | NWI | Adelaide | 11 Dec 94 |
| 100 Metres | 11.12 | +1.9 | Sestriere | 31 Jul 94 |
| 200 Metres | 22.23 | +0.8 | Stuttgart | 13 Jul 97 |
| 400 Metres | 51.73 | Brisbane | 22 Jul 00 |
Personal Bests - indoor
| Event | Time | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 Metres | 7.36 | Toronto | Mar 93 |
| 200 Metres | 22.64 | Barcelona | 10 Mar 95 |
National records
Outdoor| Event | Time | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 Metres | 11.12 | Sestriere | 31 Jul 94 |
| 200 Metres | 22.32 | Hobart | 26 Feb 94 |
| 22.23 | Stuttgart | 13 Jul 97 |
Relays
| Event | Time | City | Date | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4x100 Metres relay | 42.99 | Pietersburg | 18 Mar 00 | Rachael Massey, Suzanne Broadrick, Jodi Lambert |
| 4x400 Metres relay | 3-23.81 | Sydney | 30 Sep 00 | Nova Peris Nova Peris-Kneebone Nova 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... , Tamsyn Lewis Tamsyn Lewis Tamsyn 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.... , Cathy Freeman Cathy Freeman Catherine 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... |
Indoor
| Event | Time | City | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 Metres | 23.16 | Toronto | Mar 93 |
| 200 Metres | 22.83 | Toronto | Mar 93 |
| 200 Metres | 22.73 | Toronto | Mar 93 |
| 200 Metres | 22.64 | Barcelona | 11 Mar 95 |
| 200 Metres | 22.64 | Barcelona | 11 Mar 95 |