Although Gainsford-Taylor became a world champion in 1995, her senior career really began when she won the first of five 100 m/200 m sprint doubles at the 1992 Australian National Championships and won selection in the Olympic team, where she made the semi-finals of the 200 m. In 1993, she won a
silver medal at the
World Indoor Championships, but later in the season broke down in the 100 m semi-finals of the
1993 World Championships in Athletics. During 1994, Gainsford-Taylor won a
bronze medal at the
Commonwealth Games behind her arch-rival
Cathy Freeman and set an Australian record for 100 m of 11.12. A year later, she won the 200 m at the
1995 World Indoor Championships in Athletics and took home a bronze medal from the
1995 World Championships in Athletics as part of the Australian
4 × 400 m relay team. In 1997, defending her World Indoor crown, Gainsford was disqualified for running out of her lane in the semi-final of the 200 m. Later in the year, she created a new Australian record of 22.23 seconds. Soon after, Gainsford-Taylor reached her first individual outdoor final at the
Athens World Championships, placing 7th in the 200 m final. The latter part of her career was hampered by injury. Running with knee problems, she broke down metres before the finish when in first place during the 200 m race at the
1998 Commonwealth Games. During her career, she won a total of thirteen individual open titles – two at 100 yards, six at 100 metres and five over 200 metres. .At her third Olympic Games at
Sydney 2000 she made the final of the 200 m sprint, placing 6th, and assisted the Australian 4 × 400 m relay team to a fifth-place finish and a new national record. Still holding the Australian record at 200 m, and sharing in 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m relay records, Gainsford-Taylor retired in 2002. ==Family life==