Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALAIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pole vault: 2003 – 2nd (U20), 2005 – 4th (3rd Australian, 1st U23), 2006 – 4th (3rd Australian), 2007 – 2nd, 2008 – 1st, 2009 1st
100m hurdles: 2001 – 3rd (U20)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
World championships: 2007 – Pole vault qualifying round (4.20m)
Olympic Games: 2008 – Pole vault qualifying round (4.30m)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION
Pole vault:
2002 3.15m
2003 3.85m
2004 3.65m
2005 4.20m
2006 4.40m
2007 4.55m
2008 4.56m
2009 4.35m

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS
Pole vault: 4.56m – Monaco (MON), 29/07/08

RECORDS
U23 Queensland state record: 4.20m

Interesting Facts

Alana started athletics as a 10-year-old at school. She first represented Queensland at age 11, competing in the high jump at the national championships and went on to clear 1.70m at 14 years old.

Sporting Career

After representing Queensland in hurdles at high school and winning a national Under 18 100m hurdles title, Alana followed her father into pole vault, jumping 4.20m at the Under 23 state titles. Selection in an Australian development squad to compete in China followed.

2007 – A new PB of 4.55m came in Perth, propelling Alana to silver at the national championships and selection for the world championships in Osaka, Japan. After competing on the European circuit and persevering through a number of no-heights, she posted 4.20m in the qualification rounds at the worlds but missed the final.

2008 – Alana won the Sydney Athletics Grand Prix (4.30m) then went on to post an A-qualifying performance of 4.45m, claiming her maiden Australian title in the process and achieving automatic nomination for the Beijing Olympics. In Beijing Alana exited the competition in the qualifying round with a jump of 4.30m.

2009 – Won her second successive national championship with a leap of 4.35m in Brisbane in March and earned selection to the world championships team bound for Berlin, injury later forcing her withdrawal. In late 2009 Alana relocated to Perth to train under pole vault guru Alex Parnov.

FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Alana’s parents are Ray and Denise Boyd. Both represented Australia at two Olympic Games in athletics; Denise in the 100m, 200m and relay and Ray in the pole vault. Denise also held the Australian record over 200m with 22.32 until Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and Catherine Freeman eclipsed this mark. Denise was seventh in the final of the 200m in both the 1976 and 1980 Olympics and won 11 national titles. Ray won 12 Australian pole vault titles and had a personal best of 5.30m. Alana’s selection for Osaka made her the fifth member of the family to make an Australian team after her parents, sister Jacinta and brother Matthew all donned the green and gold. Alana is the first Australian to join her parents as Olympians, marking the first time in any Olympic sport that an Australian combination of mother, father and either son or daughter has achieved Olympic representation.