Oceania win a turning point

Taupo¯ sports writer BEVAN CHOAT looks back at local athletes who became part of Olympic history.

Former Taupo¯ athlete Melina Hamilton was one of a handful of Taupo¯ people who reached the pinnacle of their sport to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games.

The talented athlete and former Tauhara College student competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics as a pole vaulter.

Melina first came into prominence as an athlete in 1993 when she won first place in the high jump and second in both the 800m and the javelin at the Oceania Youth Championships in Canberra, Australia.

In 1994, after she switched to pole vaulting, the then Tauhara College student was named one of the top four athletes at the New Zealand secondary schools national championships at Surrey Park in Invercargill.

Melina won the senior girls pole vault and the javelin and finished second in both the 100m hurdles and shot put that year.

In 1995, the then 18-year-old was named young female athlete of the year when competing in the New Zealand track and field championships at Dunedin.

The following year Melina, while competing at the Australasian track and field championships in Sydney, set a New Zealand women’s pole vault record leap of 3.80m.

At home the next year when competing in the national league at Wellington’s Newtown Park, the now 23-year-old leapt 4.35m in the pole vault, again setting a New Zealand

women’s record. The record is now held by fellow New Zealand female pole vaulter Eliza McCartney, who vaulted 4.94m in Germany in 2018.

Melina Hamilton, the recordsetting athlete, was yet another local sportsperson who went on to compete for her country at Olympic Games.

Photo / Mark Mitchell Melina Hamilton clears the bar to qualify for the Commonwealth Games women's pole vault final at the MCG, Melbourne, Australia.

Photo / Mark Mitchell Melina training at Dekelia near the Olympic Games athletes village in Athens in August 2004.