John Llewellyn Davies (25 May 1938 – 21 July 2003) was a New Zealand
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...
bronze medallist and president of the
New Zealand Olympic Committee
The New Zealand Olympic Committee (before 1994, The ''New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association'') is both the National Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Association in New Zealand responsible for selecting athletes to re ...
(NZOC).
[John Davies]
. sports-reference.com
Biography
Davies was born in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England, to
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
parents, and in 1953 moved to New Zealand with his family. The family settled in
Tokoroa
Tokoroa ( mi, Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere) is the fifth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the ...
.
He won a bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the
1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, and a silver medal in the
one mile event at the
1962 Commonwealth Games
The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Australia, from 22 November to 1 December 1962. Athletic events were held at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat and swimming events at Beatty Park in North Perth. T ...
in Perth.
[
Davies retired due to long-term injuries, and after that coached middle- and long-distance athletes, including 1976 Olympic 5000 m silver medallist ]Dick Quax
Theodorus Jacobus Leonardus "Dick" Quax (1 January 1948 – 28 May 2018) was a Dutch-born New Zealand runner, one-time world record holder in the 5000 metres, and local-body politician.
Quax stood for Parliament for the ACT Party in 1999 and ...
, 1982 Commonwealth Games 3000m Gold Medalist Anne Audain who also broke the World 5000m record the same year. 1992 Olympic Marathon bronze medallist Lorraine Moller and 1996 Olympic 800 m finalist Toni Hodgkinson
Toni Louise Hodgkinson (born 12 December 1971) is a former New Zealand middle distance runner, originally from Tākaka. She currently holds the New Zealand woman's record in the 800 m.
As a student at Golden Bay High School, Hodgkinson set man ...
. He also contributed to sport as administrator and television commentator.[
In the 1990 Queen's Birthday Honours, Davies was appointed a ]Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
, for services to athletics. In October 2000, Davies succeeded Sir David Beattie
Sir David Stuart Beattie, (29 February 1924 – 4 February 2001) was an Australian-born New Zealand judge who served as the 14th Governor-General of New Zealand, from 1980 to 1985. During the 1984 constitutional crisis, Beattie was nearly fo ...
to become the NZOC president. In 2003 he was awarded the Leonard Cuff
Leonard Albert Cuff (28 March 1866 – 9 October 1954) was a sportsman and sports administrator from New Zealand. Born in Christchurch, Cuff was an all-round sportsman who excelled at both athletics and cricket, his most significant sporting ass ...
medal by the International Olympic Academy for promoting olympism
Olympism refers to the philosophy of the Olympic games. The fundamental principles of Olympism are outlined in the Olympic Charter.
From a pro-Olympism viewpoint, Olympism seeks to create a way of life by blending sport with culture, education ...
, only weeks before he died of melanoma.
References
External links
Page with Photo at ''Sporting Heroes''
New Zealand Olympic Committee announcement of his death
New Zealand Herald report on his death
* https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/iobituaryi-john-davies/Z2HKIB7MS6KU6ILXJUUADMK6OU/
* https://www.olympic.org.nz/athletes/john-davies/
* https://athletics.org.nz/legends/john-davies-mbe/
* https://nzhistory.govt.nz/peter-snell-completes-the-800-1500-m-double-in-tokyo
1938 births
2003 deaths
New Zealand male middle-distance runners
Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Olympic athletes of New Zealand
Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand
Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games
New Zealand referees and umpires
New Zealand athletics coaches
Athletes from London
Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics
New Zealand Members of the Order of the British Empire
Welsh emigrants to New Zealand
Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)
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