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Overview
This letter of congratulations was written by Sir Dove-Myer Robinson, the Mayor of Auckland, to Peter Snell, who had won the 800 metre race at the Rome Olympics in 1960.
Snell had been relatively unknown at the time and surprised the world when he won the race. He became an instant celebrity back at home, and was named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year for 1960. He went on to win two more golds at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 in an unrepeatable double of the men's 800m and 1500m.
Sir Peter Snell
Sir Peter Snell (1938-2019) was one of the world’s greatest athletes in one of the world’s most admired sports – middle-distance running.
In 2000 he was named New Zealand’s Sports Champion of the 20th Century. During his running career he won three Olympic gold medals, two British Empire and Commonwealth Games gold medals (at Perth in 1962) and set six world records. In 2002 he was made a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sport, becoming Sir Peter in 2009.
Snell was a pupil of the master coach Arthur Lydiard who was responsible for the finest era in New Zealand athletics from 1951-66.