Pole vault trailblazer the ‘founder’ of the sport in NZ
THE pioneer of pole vault in New Zealand, Mervyn Richards (87), soared higher than any of his contemporaries.
Richards was one of the event’s most decorated athletes as a competitor and a coach.
He won the New Zealand pole vault title every year between 1952 and 1962, breaking the national record 11 times in the process.
He attended three Empire Games (now the Commonwealth Games), winning bronze at
Cardiff in 1958 on countback after a tie with the top three competitors.
As a coach, he produced many national champions, including Dunedin’s Kevin Gibbons. Later he had a hand in the career of Olympian Melina Hamilton — the New Zealand women’s record holder prior to Eliza McCartney.
‘‘He was the founder of pole vault in New Zealand, really,’’ Athletics Otago board member and Dunedin coach Raylene Bates said.
‘‘Pole vault was getting renowned in Otago — we had a whole lot of pole vault champions.
‘‘From him being a pole vault coach himself, he developed a culture within New Zealand, which was pretty cool.’’
He also had great success as a gymnastics coach, both locally with the Athlon club and at the highest level with New Zealand.
The pinnacle of that came when he coached both his daughter Deborah and Rowena Davis to bronze in the women’s team competition at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
It was New Zealand’s first Games medal in the sport.
He was then appointed head coach of the gymnastics team for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which it ultimately boycotted.
On top of that, he and wife Winifried — a former national javelin recordholder — won the Otago mixed badminton championships.
Innovation and creativity were always a big part of his character.
Born in Oamaru to David and Hephzibah Richards on November 16, 1930, he was the youngest of six siblings.
The family moved to Waitati briefly, before shifting to Neidpath Rd in Dunedin.
He attended High St School and King Edward Technical College, before studying engineering and achieving a firstclass pass and being awarded a Callander Scholarship.
At age 16 he began training as an optical technician at Hugh & G.K. Neil, where he worked until he retired.
He initially took up athletics while at school as a runner, but after a couple of years took an interest in the pole vault.
In those days there was no mat to fall on — the landing area was composed of sawdust.
After moving to Forth St in Mosgiel, he set up a pole vault training area in the backyard.
That allowed him not only to train, but to teach others.
He had photos taken of himself in action so he could study his technique and work out how he could improve — something common today, but innovative in the 1950s.
In 1958 he married Winifried (Winnie) Garrod at Mosgiel Anglican Church.
The couple lived at the same house for 60 years.
They had three children — Deborah, Malcolm and Desmond — all of whom were active in athletics, although their main focus was gymnastics.
Indeed, Malcolm broke the pole vault world record for a 10yearold at the Taieri Highland Games in Mosgiel in 1971, and still holds the Otago 15yearold record.
Gymnastics was a family affair, and Mervyn again made use of photo analysis and got hold of celluloid films from overseas to study technique.
Later in life lapidary became a big thing for him, and he showed his great skill and creativity to make fine jewellery.
He would make it for family — often using tools and machines he designed and built himself — and would teach his grandchildren how to craft various things.
In 1986 and 2011 he won the New Zealand Lapidary Cup.
Golf became a passion, and he was also a keen spearfisherman and member of the Otago rock and mineral club.
He was a person with an eye for detail.
‘‘He was meticulous, he was very articulate, which was probably why he was such a good coach,’’ Bates said.
‘‘He had a real eye for technical qualities in people and things like that.
‘‘Family was first and foremost to him, and Win. Their family came first no matter what and they did everything in their power to support their family.
‘‘So a private person as far as that goes, but always trying to help the wider community around sport and things like that as well.’’
Meanwhile, for one of the country’s most successful vaulters of recent times, he was a key part of her support network in Dunedin.
Richards was not coaching when Melina Hamilton came to town in 1996, but he helped her during her three years studying at the University of Otago.
He set up an indoor training facility at the Edgar Centre and provided technical advice.
That, alongside Christchurch’s Terry Lomax, proved crucial for Hamilton, who six years later went to the Olympics.
‘‘He was a lovely guy, he was a very good vaulter in his day,’’ she said.
‘‘When I vaulted I was more at the beginning end for females, so there wasn’t a lot of the support networks there are these days.
‘‘So as a pole vaulting community we worked together to help each other out and things like that.’’
She said it was important to note he — like most others in athletics — did not get paid for his coaching.
He gave his time and expertise in the interests of helping people, and that played a big part in the success of many.
Richards, who died on July 1, is survived by Winifred, Deborah and David, Malcolm and Carol and Desmond, plus his many grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. — Jeff Cheshire