One of Five Doubles

Opunake-born middle-distance runner Peter Snell, who achieved the 800m and 1500m Olympic double, is included alongside other double victors, Dame Kelly Holmes and Albert Hill, on a BBC blog in a build-up to this year’s Beijing games. Snell shot to fame at the 1960 Rome Olympics when he defeated world record holder Roger Moens of Belgium to win the 800m title. And four years later in Tokyo, he won the 800m with ease, setting a new Olympic record of 1:45.1. Five days later on the final lap of the 1500m, he ran away from the field to complete his double. Snell is New Zealand’s most decorated track athlete with three Olympic golds to his name. He lives in Texas.