- Billy Savidan
MedalSport | Men's Athletics MedalCountry | NZL MedalCompetition|
Commonwealth Games John William (Billy or Bill) Savidan (
23 May 1902 –8 November 1991 ) ofAuckland was a notableNew Zealand distance runner from 1926.At the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario he won the six mile race despite stopping over the finish line after what he thought was the last lap, and being told that there was a lap to go, as the official had inadvertently turned over two discs instead of one. He beat
Ernie Harper from England. In the three mile race (equivalent to 5000 meters) he did not place.At the 1932 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles he finished fourth in both the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters.
He did not compete in the national championships in 1935 and 1936 as he was working as a stonemason and could not spend the necessary time training, but competed against two Japanese runners who were visiting New Zealand in 1937. Like
Malcolm Champion before him he was then for some years Custodian at Auckland’sTepid Baths .References
* [http://www.nzoc.org.nz/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=886&id=3774 Profile at NZOC website]
*"New Zealand Sporting Legends: 27 Pre-War Sporting Heroes" by Neville McMillan pages 125-129 (1993, Moa Beckett, Auckland) ISBN 1-96958-013-1
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