Peter Snell
Medal record |
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Sir Peter George Snell in 1964.
Snell had a relatively short career as a world-famous international sportsman, 1960–1965, yet achieved so much that he was voted New Zealand's "Sports Champion of the (20th) Century"
Early athletic career
Born in Ōpunake, Snell moved with his family to Waikato in 1949 where he attended Te Aroha College and became an all-around sportsman. He won several middle-distance running events in his hometown of Te Aroha, although some members of his new school lived in Ngāruawāhia. In 1955 he became a boarding student at Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland, where he took up a wide range of team and individual sports, including rugby union, cricket, tennis, badminton, and golf. As a teenager, Snell excelled in tennis, and pursued the sport through appearances at the Auckland and New Zealand Junior Tennis Championships.[7][8]
At age 19, Snell was motivated to concentrate seriously on running by the comments of his future coach, Arthur Lydiard, who told him, "Peter, with the sort of speed you've got, if you do the endurance training, you could be one of our best middle-distance runners."[9] During his early career under the tutelage of Lydiard, he started with New Zealand titles and records for 880 yards and the mile, despite being an unusually large and powerful man by typical middle-distance runner standards.
Olympic success
Snell came to international attention with his gold medal in the 800 metres at the Rome Olympics in 1960, setting a new national record. He was particularly dominant four years later at the Tokyo Olympics where he won the gold and set a new Olympic record in the 800 metres, and won gold in the 1500 metres.
By winning the 800–1500 m double, Snell became the only male to achieve this feat at the Olympics since 1920,, but that penalty was not applied retroactively to his World Championship gold medals.)
World records
In early 1962, Snell lowered the
at those same games. In all, Snell set five individual world records and joined fellow New Zealand athletes to set a new four by one mile relay record as well.Snell's former world records of 1:44.3 for 800 m (3 February 1962) and 2:16.6 for 1000 m (12 November 1964), remain the New Zealand national records for these distances. His 800 m record remains the fastest ever run over that distance on a grass track, and is also the oldest national record recognised by the
Fatigued after his Olympic buildup and second world mile record in 1964, his final track season in 1965 was characterized by a string of losses to such athletes as Olympic 1500 m silver medalist
Career after retirement from sport
Snell worked for a tobacco company and lived in
Adopting a new sport, Snell became an
Snell also became a competitive table tennis player including competing in Texas state (finishing in the top 4 in the 75+ age category) and U.S. championship events and also the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland.[17]
Snell died at his home in Dallas, US on 12 December 2019, just five days short of turning 81. The cause was heart failure.[18] Miki, his wife, survived him.
Commemorations and awards
Following his success at the Perth Commonwealth Games in 1962, Snell was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire for services in the field of athletics in the 1962 Queen's Birthday Honours.[19] Three years later he was elevated to Officer of the same order in the 1965 New Year Honours.[20]
He was voted New Zealand's Sports Champion of the Century in 2000 and was knighted soon afterwards.[21] In the 2002 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport,[22] and in 2009, following the restoration of titular honours by the New Zealand government, he accepted redesignation as a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and was invested by the Governor-General of New Zealand, Sir Anand Satyanand.[23]
Snell was one of five Olympic athletes from New Zealand featured on a series of commemorative
He was selected by
A larger than life-size bronze statue of Peter Snell was erected in his hometown of Ōpunake, Taranaki, and was unveiled on 19 May 2007. The statue is based on a photo of Snell crossing the finish line in the historic race at Wanganui's Cook's Gardens in 1962.[27] A similar bronze statue of Snell was unveiled in Cook's Gardens on 15 August 2009 to commemorate his athletic achievements.[28]
Interviewed by the
Snell was inducted into the Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame[30] at the Taranaki Sports Awards 2021.[31]
Honorific eponyms
In 2001, Macleans College in Auckland created Snell House as part of its "whanau house" system.[32]
The Peter Snell Youth Village, on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, in North Auckland, is also named after him. They run holiday camps for young people.[33]
Snell Drive, in the
Peter Snell Street is a street in the Bay of Plenty town of Whakatane.
Personal bests
Distance | Time | Place | Year |
---|---|---|---|
800m | 1:44.3 WR |
Christchurch | 1962 |
1000m | 2:16.6 WR |
Auckland | 1964 |
1500m* | 3:37.6 | Auckland | 1964 |
Mile | 3:54.1 WR | Auckland | 1964 |
See also
Notes
References
- Cited references
- ^ a b c d e "Peter Snell". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ a b c d All-Athletics. "Profile of Peter Snell". Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
- ^ "'The greatest athlete NZ has had': Olympian Sir Peter Snell has died, age 80". 16 June 2023.
- ^ Peter Snell wins second gold in Tokyo, NZ Ministry for Culture and Heritage, 18-Aug-2015
- ^ "New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame". Peter Snell. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ IAAF Hall of Fame. "Peter Snell to be inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame". IAAF Hall of Fame. Retrieved 5 August 2012.
- ^ Ferstle, Jim (24 January 2012). "Peter Snell: Gentleman, Athlete, Scholar". runnersworld.com. Rodale, Inc. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
- ^ Wikidata Q117189974.
- ^ Winder, Virginia (2003) "Peter Snell's One-Track Mind". pukeariki.com Retrieved 10 January 2006.
- Stuff.co.nz, 4 August 2016
- ^ "'Fastest Miler' laurel achieved by Peter Snell". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. 28 January 1962. p. 25.
- ^ Chapman, Grant (22 January 2012). "Athletics: Run of a lifetime 50 years on". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 November 2012.
- ^ "Speedster". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). (AP photo). 3 February 1962. p. 6.
- ^ "800 Metres Records". iaaf.org. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ Racing Past: The History of Middle and Long Distance Running|url=http://www.racingpast.ca/john_contents.php?id=113
- ^ Bay Area Orienteering Club (2003). 2003 Silva U.S. Orienteering Championships, Fallen Leaf Lake, South Lake Tahoe. baoc.org Retrieved 23 January 2006.
- ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "'The greatest athlete NZ has had': Famed Olympian Sir Peter Snell has died, age 80". The New Zealand Herald. 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
- ^ "No. 42685". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 2 June 1962. p. 4348.
- ^ "No. 43531". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 1 January 1965. p. 44.
- ^ "New Zealand three-time Olympic champion Peter Snell dies". BBC Sport. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
- ^ "New Year honours list 2002". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ "Ancient knighthood tradition revived in gothic church". 3News. 15 August 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
- ^ "Olympic Games". New Zealand Post. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ "Track and Field News: 1969 Covers". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2015.
- ^ "Honorary graduates". Massey University. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Opunake honours Peter Snell". Retrieved 2010-04-14 Archived 5 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sir Peter Snell honoured in Wanganui". Radio New Zealand. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- Wanganui Chronicle. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
- ^ "Sport Taranaki". www.sporttaranaki.org.nz. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
- ^ "Tokyo-bound swimmer takes out top Taranaki sports award". Stuff. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ^ "Snell House". Macleans College. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Peter Snell Youth Village". Peter Snell Youth Village. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ^ "Honouring sportspeople". Waikato Times. 2 November 2012. p. 9.
- General references
- Snell, Peter and Gilmour, Garth (1965). No Bugles, No Drums. Auckland: Minerva.
External links
- Page with Photo, one of two at Sporting Heroes
- Peter Snell – Athlete – A documentary made in 1964 available to view on NZ On Screen
- Peter Snell at the New Zealand Olympic Committee