Alana's Story
Alana Boyd made her Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, competing in the women’s pole vault where she finished in 16th place. At the Games she made Australian Olympic history by becoming the first Australian to join both parents as Olympians.
The Queenslander competed in the 2001 AYOF in hurdles and the 4x100m relay before starting pole vaulting in 2002.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Boyd won gold in the pole vault joining parents Ray (pole vault, 1982) and Denise (200m, 1978) as an individual Commonwealth Games title-holder. This was the first time the feat had been achieved by the son or daughter of a gold medal-winning couple in Australian history. Boyd made her second Games appearance in London where she made the final of the pole vault and finished in 11th place.
At Rio 2016, she came within centimetres of a medal. Boyd and New Zealand's Eliza McCartney both finished with a best clearance of 4.80 metres. As McCartney jumped clean through the opening heights she won the bronze medal and Boyd finished fourth. Ekaterini Stefandi of Greece and Sandi Morris of the USA won gold and silver with a clearance of 4.85 metres.
