Natasha Hansen

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Natasha Hansen

| image = UCI Track World Championships 2020 098.jpg

| caption = Hansen in 2020

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|11|15|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Takapuna, New Zealand

| death_date =

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| height = {{convert|167|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}

| weight = 62kg

| currentteam =

| discipline = Track

| role =

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| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{NZL}}}}

{{MedalBronze|2018 Gold Coast|Keirin}} {{MedalCompetition|UCI Track Cycling World Cup}} {{MedalGold|2019 Cambridge|Team Sprint}}

| show-medals = yes

| updated =

}}

Natasha Hansen (born 15 November 1989) is a New Zealand track cyclist who has represented her country at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics. Hansen competed at the 2018 Gold Coast games and won two silver medals in the sprint & team sprint, and a bronze in the keirin.

Early life

Hansen was born in 1989 in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore and is of Samoan descent.{{cite web |title=Natasha Hansen – Top Track Cyclist On Her Way To Rio Olympics | date=6 June 2016 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umronKds-50 |publisher=Tagata Pasifika |access-date=6 June 2016}} She grew up in Canterbury and played netball and was in the Canterbury Flames wider squad, including trials at the national secondary level. Her motivation for taking up track cycling during secondary school was to increase her fitness for netball.{{cite web |title=Natasha Hansen |url=http://www.olympic.org.nz/assets/Uploads/NZOC-Ambassador-Profile-Natasha-Hansen-final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216171826/http://www.olympic.org.nz/assets/Uploads/NZOC-Ambassador-Profile-Natasha-Hansen-final.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 February 2016 |publisher=New Zealand Olympic Committee |access-date=13 August 2016 }}

Career

At her second national trials, she set new national records in sprint and 500 m, which qualified her for the 2007 UCI Juniors World Championships held in Aguascalientes, Mexico. This was her first international event and gained her a training place in World Cycling Centre in the French speaking part of Switzerland, to where she moved. Hansen moved back to New Zealand in the following year (2008) and moved to Invercargill to train at the ILT Velodrome, then the base of the New Zealand cycling team. During her time there in the Southland city, she trained as an air traffic controller at Invercargill Airport.{{cite web |url=http://hpsnz.org.nz/news-events/natasha-hansen-track-sprinter |title=Natasha Hansen Athlete Profile |publisher=hpsnz.org.nz |access-date=13 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211054428/http://hpsnz.org.nz/news-events/natasha-hansen-track-sprinter |archive-date=11 February 2016 |url-status=dead }} At the 2011 Oceania Cycling Championships, she gained titles in team sprint, keirin, and the 500 m event. This secured her a place at the 2012 Summer Olympics for the keirin and the sprint.{{cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/olympic-results/london-2012/cycling-track/sprint-w?games=&sport=31500&event=31511 |title=London 2012 Sprint Women Final |publisher=Olympic.org |access-date=13 October 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/olympic-results/london-2012/cycling-track/keirin-w?games=&sport=31500&event=151912 |title=London 2012 Keirin Women Final |publisher=Olympic.org |access-date=13 October 2015}} Her preparation was distracted by her best friend dying of cancer, and Hansen returned to New Zealand in July 2012 for the funeral. She came 12th in the sprint and 11th in the Keirin.

She took 2013 off from competitive cycling and looked for another opportunity to keep herself fit. She took up boxing to train for a charity event in Christchurch. She competed in 'Fight for Christchurch 2013' in November, raising funds for the Ronald McDonald House South Island. The event itself raised in excess of $200,000 for selected charities.{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/9216560/Natasha-Hansen-inspired-by-fresh-challenge |title=Natasha Hansen inspired by fresh challenge | work=Stuff |access-date=13 October 2015}}

Hansen regained her motivation for track cycling and moved to Cambridge on 1 January 2015; the national team had relocated to the Avantidrome when it officially opened in April 2014. At the same time, she relocated to Hamilton Airport for work.{{cite news |last1=Wright |first1=Ed |title=Natasha Hansen back on board |url=http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/natasha-hansen-back-on-board/ |access-date=14 August 2016 |work=RoadCycling.co.nz |date=31 January 2015}} She teamed up with Katie Schofield for the team sprint and came fourth at a World Cup meeting in Cali, Colombia, in January 2015.{{cite news |last1=Leggat |first1=David |title=Cycling: Hansen back on the bike for Rio |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11619411 |access-date=14 August 2016 |work=The New Zealand Herald |date=9 April 2016}}{{cite news |title=Strong opening day at UCI track cycling World Cup for Kiwi cyclists |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/65150636/strong-opening-day-at-uci-track-cycling-world-cup-for-kiwi-cyclists |access-date=14 August 2016 |work=Stuff |date=17 January 2015}} Hansen was competing with Schofield and Stephanie McKenzie for selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics when she came fifth in the individual sprint in March 2016 at the 2016 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in London, and this performance secured her place at her second Olympics. Hansen was confirmed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee as part of the first track cyclists chosen for Rio on 7 April 2016.{{cite news |title= New Zealand's world champion sprint cyclists confirmed to chase gold at Rio Olympics |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/78655489/new-zealands-world-champion-sprint-cyclists-confirmed-to-chase-gold-at-rio-olympics |date= 7 April 2016 |work= Stuff |access-date= 14 August 2016}} The remainder of the team was confirmed in July, and that included Olivia Podmore who was the other half of the sprint team.{{cite news |last1=Geenty |first1=Mark |title=Hayden Roulston returns in 'toughest Olympic team we've had to pick' |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/81932081/Hayden-Roulston-returns-in-toughest-Olympic-team-we-ve-had-to-pick |access-date=14 August 2016 |work=Stuff |date=9 July 2016}} Hansen and Podmore did not survive the qualification round in the team sprint.{{cite news |last1=Geenty |first1=Mark |title=Rio Olympics 2016: Odd shaped track stymies New Zealand pursuit team |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83133932/rio-olympics-2016-new-zealand-to-ride-for-team-pursuit-bronze-at-the-velodrome |access-date=14 August 2016 |work=Stuff |date=13 August 2016}}

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Hansen won the silver medal in the individual sprint and bronze in the keirin, and was part of the New Zealand team (with Emma Cumming) that won silver in the team sprint.{{Cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/cycling-track/results-women-s-sprint-fnl-00010000.htm|title=Cycling Track {{!}} Results Women's Sprint Finals – Gold – Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games|website=results.gc2018.com|language=en-AU|access-date=5 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/cycling-track/results-women-s-keirin-fnl-000100-.htm|title=Cycling Track {{!}} Results Women's Keirin Finals 1–6 – Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games|website=results.gc2018.com|language=en-AU|access-date=5 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://results.gc2018.com/en/cycling-track/results-women-s-team-sprint-fnl-000100-.htm|title=Cycling Track {{!}} Results Women's Team Sprint Finals – Gold – Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games|website=results.gc2018.com|language=en-AU|access-date=5 November 2018}}

Outside of sport, Hansen is a licensed air traffic controller.{{cite news |last1=Hinton |first1=Marc |title=NZ sprint cyclist Natasha Hansen takes control of her journey to Rio |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/78682613/nz-sprint-cyclist-natasha-hansen-takes-control-of-her-journey-to-rio |access-date=3 January 2023 |work=Stuff |date=7 April 2016}}