Docherty set records and won medals
Taupo¯ sports writer Choat looks back at local athletes who became part of Olympic history.
BBevan
evan Docherty is undoubtedly Taupo¯‘s most successful Olympian. Educated at Waipahihi Primary School and Tauhara College, Bevan first came to prominence when he was named the young sports player of the year at the Lakeland Sports Awards in 1995.
An ever-determined multi-sport athlete and member of the Taupo¯ Association of Registered Triathletes (known as TARTS), Bevan was given every encouragement to develop in his chosen sport by his parents Ray and Irene Docherty, who were also members of that organisation.
Bevan’s older sister Fiona was also a talented triathlete who had success at the top level overseas and who won 2003 Zofingen ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships in Switzerland.
Among Bevan’s earlier achievements was winning the European Cup in the nine-race series in 2000 when just 23, while Fiona gained a podium placing for women.
While Bevan continued to have incredible success at home and abroad, including gold and silver medals in the ITU World Championships,
his greatest achievements were at the pinnacle, the Olympic Games.
At the Athens Olympics in 2004 Bevan finished second behind fellow Kiwi Hamish Carter to take the silver medal, while at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games he finished third for a bronze. He also competed at the London Olympics, placing 12th.
Bevan took home a silver medal from the Melbourne Commonwealth Games to add to his collection and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 following the Athens Olympics.
His achievements at World Cup events were equally as impressive and he was a popular winner of the Ironman New Zealand in Taupo¯ in 2013, where he also set a new course record. But was the Olympic Games that shot him to stardom.