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Overview
Peter Snell sent this postcard of Yoyogi Olympic Village to his nephew who was keeping a scrapbook on the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.
In his message, Snell points out the Yoyogi National Stadium where swimming and diving events were held (the larger of the two buildings). The smaller building housed the basketball events. The buildings were designed by celebrated Japanese architect Kenzō Tange (1913-2005).
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. He became a national celebrity when he won the 800-metre race at the Rome Olympics in 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.
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.