Robin Tait

Robin Tait, born in Dunedin in 1940, represented New Zealand at six consecutive Commonwealth Games, from 1962-82, as well as the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

His favoured event was the discus, but he was nearly as effective in the shot put and often he was chosen to represent New Zealand in both disciplines at the same Games.

Tait, who attended Taieri High School, spent two years in the Army on leaving school, then returned to Dunedin and a series of odd jobs. A few years later he moved to Auckland and joined the high-performing Western Suburbs club, where he was able to realise his potential as a thrower.

After hinting at what was possible when he finished 4th in the discus and 13th in the shot in Perth in 1962, he got among the medals at the 1966 Kingston Empire Games (as the festival was still called). His best effort of 55.02m earned him the bronze medal behind gold medallist and fellow New Zealander Les Mills. He also improved his shot put performance to 6th.

Tait was 12th in the discus at the 1968 Mexico Olympics and again in the 1970 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games.

At Munich in 1972 he finished only 20th in the Olympic discus and some wondered if his best days were behind him.

However, he was in brilliant form in the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games. The burly Tait, a natural extrovert, had a no-throw at his first attempt, a mediocre 54.44m on his second attempt, and then a gigantic 63.08m on his third attempt. It was such a phenomenal effort that he was able to sit back and not take his final three throws, challenging his opponents to top that effort. None could get within 3½m of his Games record throw. Half a century later that effort still places him fourth on the all-time New Zealand list.

That gold medal was the highpoint of his long career, which also included 15 national discus crowns and six national shot put titles.

At the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games he was edged out of the discus medals, finishing 4th.

Tait wound down his international career at the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games, when he was given the honour of being team captain and carrying the New Zealand flag in the opening ceremony. He was 8th in the discus.

He died in 1984, aged just 43.