Peter Snell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sir Peter Snell
KNZM OBE

Snell at the 1964 Olympics
Personal information
Birth name	Peter George Snell
Born	(1938-12-17)17 December 1938 Ōpunake, New Zealand
Died	12 December 2019(2019-12-12) (aged 80) Dallas, Texas, United States
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	80 kg (176.4 lb; 12.6 st)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	800 m, 1500 m
Coached by	Arthur Lydiard
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	800 metres: 1:44.3 (WR) 880 yards: 1:45.1 WR 1000 metres: 2:16.6 WR 1500 metres: 3:37.6 Mile: 3:54.4 WR Mile 3:54.1 WR 4 × 1 mile relay: 16.23.8 WR (with Murray Halberg, Gary Philpott & Barry Magee)
Medal record Representing  New Zealand Olympic Games Gold 1960 Rome 800 metres Gold 1964 Tokyo 800 metres Gold 1964 Tokyo 1500 metres Commonwealth Games Gold 1962 Perth 880 yards Gold 1962 Perth 1 mile

Sir Peter George Snell (born 17 December 1938 – died 12 December 2019) was a famous New Zealand middle-distance runner. He won three Olympic gold medals. He is the only man since 1920 to win both the 800 and 1500 metres races at the same Olympics, which he did in 1964.

Even though his career as a world-famous athlete was short (from 1960 to 1965), Peter Snell achieved a lot. He was voted New Zealand's "Sports Champion of the (20th) Century." In 2012, he became one of the first 24 members of the World Athletics Hall of Fame. Peter Snell was coached by Arthur Lydiard. He is remembered for his three Olympic gold medals, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, and the many world records he set.

Early Running Days

Peter Snell was born in Ōpunake, New Zealand. In 1949, his family moved to Waikato. He went to Te Aroha College and was good at many sports. He won several running events in his hometown of Te Aroha.

Later, he attended Mount Albert Grammar School in Auckland. There, he played many team and individual sports. These included rugby union, cricket, tennis, badminton, and golf. As a teenager, Peter was especially good at tennis. He even played in junior championships.

When he was 19, Peter Snell decided to focus on running. His future coach, Arthur Lydiard, told him he had great speed. Lydiard believed that with proper training, Peter could become one of New Zealand's best middle-distance runners. Even though Peter was bigger and stronger than most middle-distance runners, he quickly started winning titles and setting records in New Zealand.

Olympic Wins

Peter Snell became famous around the world at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He won a gold medal in the 800 metres race. He also set a new national record for New Zealand.

Four years later, he was even more impressive at the Tokyo Olympics. He won another gold medal in the 800 metres, setting a new Olympic record. Then, he also won gold in the 1500 metres race.

Winning both the 800m and 1500m at the same Olympics is very rare. Peter Snell was the only male athlete to do this since 1920. No male athlete has achieved this at the Olympics since his win.

Setting World Records

In early 1962, Peter Snell broke the world mile record. He ran it a tenth of a second faster at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui on 27 January. Just one week later, he set new world records for both the 800m and 880 yards in Christchurch.

Later that year, he won two more gold medals at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth. He won the 880 yards and the mile races. In total, Peter Snell set five individual world records. He also helped his New Zealand teammates set a new record in the four by one mile relay race.

Peter Snell's old world record of 1:44.3 for 800m (set on 3 February 1962) is still the New Zealand national record. It is also the fastest 800m ever run on a grass track. This record is the oldest national record recognized by World Athletics for a standard track and field event. It was also the Oceania continental area record for 56 years.

After the 1964 Olympics and setting his second world mile record, Peter Snell felt tired. His last season in 1965 saw him lose to other athletes. He then decided to retire from running.

Life After Running

After retiring from sports, Peter Snell worked for a tobacco company. In 1971, he moved to the United States to study more. He earned a degree in human performance from the University of California, Davis. Then, he got his PhD in exercise physiology from Washington State University.

In 1981, he joined the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. He worked there as a research fellow. He became an associate professor and director of their Human Performance Center.

Peter Snell also took up new sports. He became an active orienteer, which is a sport using a map and compass to find checkpoints. In 2003, he won his age category (men aged 65 and older) in the United States Orienteering Championship. He was also a past president of the North Texas Orienteering Association.

He also became a competitive table tennis player. He competed in Texas state championships and even the 2017 World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand.

Peter Snell passed away at his home in Dallas on 12 December 2019. He was almost 81 years old. He died from heart failure.

Awards and Tributes

Statue of Snell erected in 2007

After his success at the 1962 Perth Commonwealth Games, Peter Snell was honored. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his achievements in athletics. Three years later, he was made an Officer of the same order (OBE).

In 2000, he was voted New Zealand's Sports Champion of the Century. He was knighted soon after. In 2002, he was appointed a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2009, he accepted the title of Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

In August 2004, Peter Snell was featured on a series of commemorative postage stamps. These stamps honored five New Zealand Olympic athletes for the 2004 Olympic Games. The two-dollar stamp shows a picture of Snell crossing the finish line of the 800 metres race at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Track and Field News magazine chose him as their "Athlete of the '60s." He was on the cover of their December 1969 issue. In 2007, Massey University gave him an honorary doctorate. This was to recognize his work as an exercise physiologist.

A large bronze statue of Peter Snell was put up in his hometown of Ōpunake, Taranaki, in 2007. The statue shows him crossing the finish line of his historic race in Wanganui's Cook's Gardens in 1962. Another similar bronze statue was unveiled in Cook's Gardens in 2009.

In an interview, Peter Snell said he was known as a miler. However, he felt the 800 metres was probably his best distance. He said his greatest effort was setting the world 800m/880yard double record. This was done a few days after his new mile record. He noted that his 800m time would have won the gold medal 46 years later at the Beijing Olympics.

In 2021, Peter Snell was inducted into the Taranaki Sports Hall of Fame.

Places Named After Him

• In 2001, Macleans College in Auckland created Snell House. This is part of their school house system.
• The Peter Snell Youth Village is on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in North Auckland. It is named after him and runs holiday camps for young people.
• Snell Drive in the Hamilton suburb of Chartwell is named in his honor.
• Peter Snell Street is a street in the Bay of Plenty town of Whakatane.

Personal Best Times

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