Marise Chamberlain
Marise Ann Millicent Chamberlain is a former New Zealand middle-distance runner. She is the only New Zealand woman to win an Olympic medal in track athletics. She set world records over 440 and 880 yards as well as 1 mile.
At the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Western Australia, she won a silver medal over 880 yards, behind Australian Dixie Willis. Two years later, at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, she won the bronze medal behind Ann Packer and Maryvonne Dupureur, the top five runners beating the old Olympic record time set by Dupureur in the semifinals.
At the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Kingston, Jamaica Chamberlain stumbled just before the finish line when leading in the 880 yds final and missed out on a medal.
In the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours, Chamberlain was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to athletics.
Chamberlain was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.Honorific eponym
Chamberlain Place, in the Hamilton suburb of Chartwell, is named in Chamberlain's honour.
