Yvette Williams

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Yvette Williams
Personal information
Born 25 April 1929
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Competitor for  New Zealand
Olympic Games
Gold 1952 Helsinki Long jump
Commonwealth Games
Gold 1950 Auckland Long Jump
Gold 1954 Vancouver Long Jump
Gold 1954 Vancouver Discus
Gold 1954 Vancouver Shot put
Silver 1950 Auckland Javelin

Yvette Winifred Williams, CNZM, MBE (later Yvette Corlett, born 25 April 1929), is a retired athlete from New Zealand, the first woman from her country to win an Olympic gold medal. She won her Olympic gold medal in the Long Jump event in 1952 held at Helsinki.

In 1954, Williams broke the women's long jump world record at Gisborne, New Zealand, with a leap of 6.28 metres.

Honours

In the 1953 New Year Honours, Williams was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire, for services in women's athletics.[1] She was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics in the 2011 New Year Honours.[2]

Williams was inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2000 she was voted Otago Sportsperson of the Century.[3]

Honorific eponyms

The "Yvette Williams Retirement Village" in the Dunedin suburb of Roslyn is named in her honour.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ London Gazette (supplement), No. 39735, 30 December 1952. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  2. ↑ New Year Honours List 2011. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  3. ↑ "20 NZ Olympic Moments: No. 4, Super-athlete's gold raised bar". New Zealand Herald. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 3 February 2013. 
  4. ↑ Yvette Williams - Dunedin Retirement Villages, Rest Homes, Elderly Care. Ryman Healthcare. Retrieved 3 February 2013.

External links


Records
Preceded by
Netherlands Fanny Blankers-Koen		 Women's Long Jump World Record Holder
20 February 1954 – 18 November 1955 		Succeeded by
Soviet Union Galina Vinogradova
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