NZOC Remembers Olympian #166, Marise Chamberlain

The NZOC is paying tribute to New Zealand Olympian #166, Marise Chamberlain, who has passed away, aged 88.

Chamberlain is remembered as an athlete ahead of her time. She remains New Zealand's only female Olympic track medallist, and for four decades was the fastest New Zealand woman over 800m. She set world records over distances from 440 yards to the mile.

Her standout performance was in the 800m at the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games where she won bronze. She also won a silver medal at Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games in the 880 yard event.

NZOC CEO Nicki Nicol says Marise Chamberlain was a pioneer for women in sport.

“Marise was an amazing athlete and a trailblazer at a time when opportunities for women in sport were limited,” said Nicol.

“Her performance in Tokyo not only showcased her incredible talent but also inspired a host of young New Zealand women to pursue their dreams in sport. She remained connected to the Olympic movement after retiring from athletics and was a huge advocate for sport and the power it has to change lives for the better. She leaves a brilliant legacy and will be missed by all those who knew her.”

Chamberlain was a proud Cantabrian and worked all day as a typist in Christchurch before training as she prepared for the Olympic Games. She said she was incredibly nervous throughout her time in Tokyo.

“I felt really bad in the warm-up before the final. I'd never felt so weak. The more people said ‘Good luck', the weaker I felt. On the starting line I was in lane seven, between the two Brits, Ann Packer and Anne Smith. All their supporters were just across the track cheering for them. It was very intimidating,” said Chamberlain.

“I ran most of the race in a bit of a dream. With 200 metres to go I was two lanes wide. Then, through my trance-like state, I could hear a chant of ‘black, black, black'. It was the Japanese cheering for me. That jolted me.

“I decided to do something about my position, but I made a very big mistake. I ran three wide around the bend. I went through the field, but covered a lot of extra ground.

“What I didn't know was that Ann Packer had pinpointed me as the likely winner and was determined to follow me throughout the race. Sure enough, when I went, she followed and I took her right through into the final straight. At that stage Dupureur was a couple of metres ahead, and I couldn't close that gap.

“Then Ann went past and there was nothing I could do about that. So it finished Packer, Dupureur, Chamberlain. I could never describe how happy I felt afterwards. I wanted so much to be able to stand on that dais at an Olympics. When I stepped up, I thought about all those years of sweat and grime and dirt, the terrible conditions, my parents holding meals for me for all those years, all the help I'd got from so many people. I burst into tears and cried and cried.”

Chamberlain returned home to Christchurch with her bronze medal and married a month later. She continued running through to the 1966 Commonwealth Games.

She was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics in 2003.

An NZOC video interview with Marise Chamberlain:

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