Melissa Hauschildt

Melissa Hauschildt

Hauschildt racing at Ironman Germany in 2016
Personal information
Born	(1983-04-13) 13 April 1983 (age 33)
Residence	Noosa, Australia
Spouse(s)	Jared Hauschildt
Website	www.melissahauschildt.com
Sport
Country	Australia
Sport	Athletics, Triathlon
Medal record Representing  Australia Women's athletics Commonwealth Games 2006 Melbourne 3000 m steeplechase World Cross Country Championships 2008 Edinburgh Team 2006 Fukuoka Team Women's triathlon Ironman 70.3 World Championships 2013 Elite 2011 Elite 2016 Elite ITU Long Distance World Championships 2013 Elite

Melissa Hauschildt (née Rollison, born 13 April 1983 in Adelaide) is an Australian professional triathlete and former middle distance runner, who specialised in steeplechase. She is the winner of the 2011 and 2013 Ironman 70.3 World Championship as well as the 2013 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships.

Hauschildt began her athletic career at the age of 11 years old, running on the grass tracks of her hometown at the Gold Coast, Australia and began to excel in the 800m, reaching state level. She was soon approached by coach Brian Chapman and in the following year won the Australian Cross Country Championships (Under 12).

Hauschildt won her steeplechase debut over 2000m at the Queensland All Schools Championships in October, 1998. In December she won the inaugural Australian All Schools Championships under-18 2000m steeplechase title and, as the season closed, posted the Australian under-20 and under-18 2000m steeplechase records (both records still stand today). In March 1999, aged just 15, Hauschildt won her first Australian senior title over 3000m steeplechase in a time of 10.15.77. She ran her 3000m steeplechase debut just months earlier in Brisbane, clocking 10.26.95, and 12 months later at the next Australian Championships, held at Stadium Australia, she again claimed the Open title and became the first person to set a World (Junior) Record in the Olympic stadium.

Outside of steeplechase, Hauschildt placed eighth in the 1500m at the World Junior Championships in Santiago, Chile in October and then, in March 2001, placed 14th in the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Oostende, Belgium.

The biggest steeplechase competition to date was set for the 2001 Goodwill Games where the field included world No. 2 Irene Likma of Kenya and previous world record-holder Cristina Iloc-Casandra. Hauschildt won the race by nine seconds, clocking the second best time in history and regaining her World Junior Record (9.30.70). In December 2001, Hauschildt won the Zatopek Junior 3000m in a personal best time of 9:03.64 and, in the days that followed, ran the fastest 800m (2:06.10) and 1500m (4:15.67) in the 25-year history of the Australian All Schools Championships. In March 2002 she went on to claim her 3rd Australian steeplechase crown in a new meet record.