This Tuesday he would have turned 81, but he died last Thursday, day 12. His name was Peter Snell and he was the best New Zealand athlete in history. A broker of greater hierarchy even than his imperishable countrymen John Lovelock, Murray Halberg and John Walker , myths of the world medium. No one like him triumphantly toured the world, the severe, imposing, legendary black T-shirt of the distant country.
Snell was born in the tiny town of Opunake, in the Taranaki region, on December 17, 1938. He was 21 years old when he arrived at the Olympic Games in Rome in 1960 . Robust (1.79 tall and 80 kilos in weight), it did not respond to the prototype of the midi -ondists, generally longilinear and light athletes. The powerful legs, topped by round twins, stood out in him.
He already gathered some credentials, such as two victories over, in 800 meters, the dazzling Australian Herb Elliott and, over 2,000, Murray Halberg himself. He had also obtained the national record of 800 yards (1: 49.2). In the first round of the 800s, Snell set a new personal stop (1: 48.1). In the quarterfinals he stepped on the heels of the world record holder, the Belgian Roger Moens. In one of the semifinals, he overcame it (1: 47.2 by 1: 47.4), while the other impressed the Jamaican George Kerr (1: 47.1).
The final was a thing of the three. At the entrance of the last straight, Moens was leading. Subway to subway, inexorably, Snell caught him and agonically beat him on the same finish line with 1: 46.3 by 1: 46.5. Kerr was third (1: 47.1). In his autobiography, signed in the company of Garth Gilmour, No Bugles, No Drums ( Without bugles or drums ) of 1965, Snell wrote: "All I remember about the final moment of that race is every ounce of effort pushing me forward." He ended up so exhausted that his eyes and mind were veiled. "Who has won?" He asked, panting Moens when he approached to congratulate him . "You," the Belgian replied.
Unlike the training of Moens, in which the speed prevailed (" interval training "), the one of Snell had been based on long and exhausting series of resistance by rugged and sandy terrain , according to the methods of Arthur Lydiard, former bottom athlete and revolutionary of the tactics of that time.
Snell left Rome turned into a star. Two years later he beat (1: 44.3) the record of Moens (1: 45.7). And also that of the mile (3: 54.4), which would improve again (3: 54.1), in 1964, a month after the Tokyo Olympics. In the Japanese capital, Snell revalidated his gold in the 800 (1: 45.1, Olympic record) and conquered that of the 1,500 (3: 38.1). No one had achieved that double since the British Albert Hill at the Games in Antwerp in 1920, and no one has achieved it afterwards . Snell had run six tests in a week. An atrocity. Sustained by his physical strength, he had intensified previous workouts. For 10 weeks it covered an average of 23 kilometers per day.
Such efforts took its toll. In April 1965, he was injured while trying to reach the world record of 1,500, then held by Herb Elliott (3: 35.6), the other great medium-length artist of those years, on the common peak of southern athletics. He did not recover well and withdrew in the fullness of young age. That mark in the 800 (1: 44.3) is still New Zealand's record. A posthumous tribute with a vocation of eternity.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
Know more- sports
- more sport
More Sport The greatest sanction in the history of sport: Russia will not be able to participate in Games or in World Cups for four years
Figure skating The lack of motivation of a 17-year-old multi-champion: Zagitova takes a break
Padel Sanyo and Maxi bitter the number 1 to Paquito and Lebrón in Mexico