Name Tania Heer | ||
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Tania Van Heer (now Mrs. Mark Murphy) (born 30 December 1970) is an Australian sprinter who won two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
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Athletics career
A junior prodigy, born in Sri Lanka (she still holds the Sri Lankan 200m women Under 18 record from 1986 with a timing of 24.8s), 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 × 100 metres and 4 × 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 × 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.
Relay Teams
Tania has won a number of international medals in 4 × 100 metre and 4 × 400 metre relays: