Sue Willis

For such a multi-talented sportswoman, Sue Haden is easily overlooked, despite her silver medal in the 800m at the 1974 Commonwealth Games.

That’s because 16 years later she reappeared at the Commonwealth Games as Sue Golder, and again won a medal, this time a bronze in the sprint cycling.

These days, she’s involved in dog agility show administration, but now she’s Sue Willis.

Sue was born in Hastings in 1946. The first sport in which she broke through internationally was hockey – she was in the New Zealand women’s team that attended the 1967 world championships in Leverkusen, Germany. The New Zealanders finished 7th of 16 teams in that tournament.

After that, Haden, a secondary school teacher, devoted much of her sports energy to athletics and, coached by Russ Hoggard, she became a champion middle-distance runner.

She won two national titles over 400m, four over 800m and two over 1500m from 1971-74. In one magic year, 1973, she scooped all three.

She was chosen for the 800m at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where she narrowly failed to advance past her heat. She ran a swift 2min 04.86s to finish fourth in her heat with three to progress.

Haden was at her best at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games.

In the 800m, she won her heat in 2min 6.0s. In her semi she was second in 2min 4.9s. Australian Charlene Rendina was too fast in the final (not surprising because she also won the 400m gold), running 2min 1.1s, a Commonwealth Games record. Haden was a clear second in 2min 2.0s, also under the old Games record. That time still places Haden sixth on the New Zealand all-time list for 800m. Lorraine Moller, of future marathon fame, was fifth in that 800m final.

Haden also contested the 1500m in Christchurch and finished a comfortable 2nd in her heat in 4min 26.8s. In the final her 4min 27.8s was good enough for 10th.

That was the last that was seen of Haden on the international stage until the 1980s when she began competing in the rapidly expanding sport of women’s cycling.

At a national level, she won the New Zealand sprint title in four successive years, from 1985-88, and the 3000m individual pursuit in 1986 and 1987. She showed her versatility by winning the national road title in 1986.

She contested the world road champs in Colorado Springs in 1986, finishing 57th.

In 1990 Sue Golder, as she was then, lined up in the women’s sprint at the Auckland Commonwealth Games. It was the first time women’s cycling had featured at the Games.

At 43, Sue was old enough to be the mother of some of her opponents, but she still had champion qualities.

She finished with the bronze medal, behind Louise Jones of Wales and Julie Speight of Australia.

After living in Taupo for some years, she moved to Hawke’s Bay. Her new involvement – not quite a fourth sport – is with dog shows and she’s part of the ShowSec dog agility show organisation.