About Tania Dixon
Born 1970. Tania Dixon is a New Zealand athletics competitor and high jumper.
Tania Kay Murray Haigh (formerly Dixon, née Murray; born 3 October 1970) is a former New Zealand high jumper and triple jumper. She won the gold medal in the women's high jump representing her country at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, and won eight national athletic championship titles.
Early life Murray was born in Ranfurly on 3 October 1970. As a child she suffered from several illnesses, including hepatitis, rheumatic fever, glandular fever and growths of her knees. Encouraged by her doctor to become more active, she joined the Alexandra Athletics Club. Murray was educated at Maniototo Area School, and then Logan Park High School after moving with her family to Dunedin.
Commonwealth Games Murray represented New Zealand in the high jump at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. Murray and Janet Boyle from Northern Ireland were two of the six athletes to jump 1.88 metres, but then all failed to clear 1.91 metres. As Murray and Boyle were the only two to clear 1.88 metres at their first attempts, they went into a jump-off to decide the gold and silver medals. After a dramatic jump-off, Murray eventually emerged victorious, and took the gold medal.
In 1990, Murray was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.
Despite achieving the 'A' qualifying standard in the high jump for the 1992 Summer Olympics with a personal best height of 1.92 metres, Murray was controversially not nominated for the New Zealand Olympic team by Athletics New Zealand.
Following the 1994 Games, Murray moved to Melbourne for a time and concentrated on the triple jump. She qualified for the inaugural Commonwealth Games women's triple jump event in 1998, but was injured while attempting to qualify for the high jump. She subsequently retired from athletics competition. , her New Zealand high jump record still stands.
Later life Murray married Greg Dixon, and they had two children. They moved to the United States in the late 1990s, but Murray returned to New Zealand after their marriage ended, finding employment as the sports coordinator at Cromwell College for five years. In about 2015, she started her own dressmaking business, having completed a course at Otago Polytechnic after leaving school. She remarried, to Russ Haigh, and the couple have a house renovation business in Cromwell.
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Important facts
People in Tania Dixon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Tania Dixon's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Tania Dixon?
New Zealand high jumper
When was Tania Dixon born?
Tania Dixon was born on 3 October 1970 in Ranfurly.
What is Tania Dixon's occupation?
Tania Dixon is an athletics competitor and high jumper.
What nationality is Tania Dixon?
Tania Dixon is New Zealand.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Tania Dixon. https://biography.guide/tania-dixon/
MLA: "Tania Dixon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/tania-dixon/.
Chicago: "Tania Dixon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/tania-dixon/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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