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One of the truly great runners of Australian athletics history, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is the dual 100m and 200m National Record Holder.
She began running with Little Athletics in her home town of Narromine in Central Western NSW at the age of 9 where she was discovered by coach, Jackie Byrnes.
To progress with her athletics, Mel moved to Sydney and went to boarding school at St. Vincent's in Potts Point. Injuries plagued her early years in Sydney, but helped develop a steely determination that would later help stamp the young sprinter as the country's premier female sprint star. With the constant support and belief of her coach, Melinda was ranked number 1 in the world at age 14 for the 100m.
She has come a long way since age 14. The highlights of Melinda's magnificent athletic achievements are:
*The only Australian athlete to win back-to-back National Sprint Double crowns. She has won 5 National Double crowns (1992, 93, 95, 97, 98)
* The fastest time ever by an Australian for the 100m (11.12 seconds) run in Italy in 1994.
* The fastest time ever by an Australian for the 200m (22.23 seconds) run in Stuttgart Germany in 1997.
* Holds the record for the fastest 100m ever run on Australian soil (11:21 sec)
* 200m World Indoor Champion winning Gold at Barcelona in 1995, making her at the time, the first Australian since Betty Cuthbert to win a World Championship.
* A bronze and silver medallist at Commonwealth Games level.
* During the 1996/97 season, she set a string of records including five 100m/200m sprint doubles and yet another National Double crown.
* Enjoyed her second undefeated domestic season in 1998 and claimed (for the second time) the Female Athlete of the Year Award from National Grand Prix sponsor, Optus.
* In May 1998 Melinda placed a very creditable 3rd behind Marion Jones in the Osaka grand prix 100m.
* At the ?99 National Titles, Melinda broke Raelene Boyle?s long standing record when she won her sixth National crown in taking out the 100m.
* Melinda enjoyed a phenomenal season in 2000 winning almost every race she contested and in South Africa, for the inaugural Test Series, she won the 100m and 200m in record time (although these were not official due to the tail winds). Additionally, she anchored the women's 4 x 100m relay team to not only the Gold, but to a new Australian record. Their time brought to an end the previous mark which had stood untouched for over 23 years.
* Represented Australia at 3 Olympic Games culminating with Sydney 2000, where she was voted the female Captain of the team.
* At the Sydney Games, Mel made the semi-finals of the 100m and finished a very credible fifth in the 200m final running her best time of the year.
* Named 'Sports Personality of the Year' by the readers of the Daily Telegraph at the NSW Sports Awards held at Stadium Australia in March 2000.
Aside from athletics, Melinda is the only sports star to have a rose named after her, and has been featured in Who Weekly's 25 Most Beautiful People.
Since retiring from athletics, Melinda has been working for her employers, Asset Super and Weight Watchers well as conducting many athletics coaching clinics around the country to inspire young children to pursue their dreams.
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