Peter Snell

New Zealand middle-distance runner who became the only man since 1920 to win Olympic gold in both the 800m and 1500m at the same Games, achieved at Tokyo 1964.

Born on 17 December 1938 in Ōpunake, New Zealand, Peter Snell trained under the legendary coach Arthur Lydiard, who built his speed on a foundation of high-mileage endurance training. Snell shocked the athletics world at the 1960 Rome Olympics, charging past world record holder Roger Moens in the final 25 metres to win 800m gold as an unheralded outsider. Snell went on to set world records in the 800m, 880 yards and mile in 1962, running 1:44.3 for the 800m — a mark that remained New Zealand's national record for 56 years — and 3:54.4 for the mile. He lowered his mile record further to 3:54.1 in 1964. His defining achievement came at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where over eight days he completed an extraordinary double, winning the 800m final by more than 10 metres before capturing the 1500m gold just five days later in 3:38.1, becoming the first man since Britain's Albert Hill at the 1920 Antwerp Games to win both events at the same Olympics — a feat no man has repeated since. Snell was named New Zealand's Sports Champion of the 20th Century and was one of 24 inaugural members of the World Athletics Hall of Fame. He was knighted and later moved to the United States, where he earned degrees in human performance and exercise physiology. He died in December 2019, days before his 81st birthday.

Devastating closing sprint built on Arthur Lydiard's endurance training system

Named New Zealand's Sports Champion of the 20th Century and an inaugural World Athletics Hall of Fame member