New Zealand athletics legend Peter Snell is dead. As the World Athletics Association announced, the three-time Olympic middle distance athlete died on Thursday at the age of 80.
His career was short, but all the more impressive. Snell had only focused on athletics at the age of 19. Three years later, he won over 800 meters at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome. In Tokyo in 1964, Snell, who was trained by Arthur Lydiard, the founder of endurance training, was the second runner in Olympic history after the British Albert Hill in 1920 to achieve the gold double over 800 and 1500 meters - a double success that no male runner has managed to do since ,
Between games, Snell also mastered the feat of setting world records over 800 meters and the mile in one week. Snell ended his sporting career just a year after the Tokyo Games. In New Zealand he was knighted in 2009 and voted 20th century athlete.
"It is very sad news, a heavy loss for New Zealand," said New Zealand sports historian Ron Palenski. "In terms of athletics, he's probably the greatest athlete New Zealand has ever had." New Zealand's Prime Minister recalled "a legend here and around the world".
According to his wife Miki, Snell, who had a doctorate in sports psychology and later headed the Human Performance Center at the University of Texas, had needed a pacemaker for several years. He died suddenly at home in Dallas: "He lay down to watch the news and fell asleep."
