Marise Ann Millicent Chamberlain, (5 December 1935 – 5 November 2024) was a New Zealand middle-distance runner. At the time of her death in 2024, she was the only New Zealand woman to have won an Olympic medal in track athletics (

Lorraine Moller Lorraine Mary Moller (born 1 June 1955) in Putāruru is a former athlete from New Zealand, who competed in track athletics and later specialised in the marathon. Moller's international career lasted over 20 years and included winning a silver m ...

won a medal in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

). She set world records over 440 yards, 400 metres and 1 mile. At the

1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Perth, Western 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 Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, Western Australia, she won a silver medal over

880 yards The 800 metres, or 800 meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event sin ...

, behind Australian Dixie Willis. Two years later, at the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, she won the bronze medal behind

Ann Packer Ann Elizabeth Packer MBE (born 8 March 1942) is an English former sprinter, hurdler and long jumper. She won a gold medal in the 800 metres and a silver in the 400 metres at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Biography In 1959 Packer won the E ...

(gold) and

Maryvonne Dupureur Maryvonne Samson Dupureur (24 May 1937 – 7 January 2008) was a French middle-distance runner. Competing in the 800 m event she won silver medals at the 1964 Olympics and 1967 European Indoor Games; she also took part in the 1960 and 1968 Olym ...

(silver), the top five runners beating the old Olympic record time set by Dupureur in the semifinals. At the

1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games The 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica, from 4 to 13 August 1966. This was the first time that the Games had been held outside the so-called White Dominions. The event was followed by the 1966 Commonweal ...

Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long spit (landform), sand spit which connects the town of Por ...

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 The 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours were announced on 14 June 2003 for the United Kingdom and on 2 June 2003 for New Zealand. The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour. United Kingdom Knight Bachelo ...

, Chamberlain was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit () is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ...

, for services to athletics. Chamberlain was inducted into the

New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame The New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame is an organisation commemorating New Zealand's greatest sporting triumphs. It was inaugurated as part of the New Zealand sesquicentenary celebrations in 1990. Some 160 members have been inducted into the hall ...

in 1995. She lived in the Christchurch suburb of

South New Brighton South New Brighton () is a coastal suburb on the eastern side of Christchurch city. The area previously had some Māori presence. The suburb also contains a primary school. History The Māori name for South New Brighton is ''Te Kai-a-Te-Kar ...

all her life and also lived in Heathcote Valley for a number of years. After

Earle Wells Earle Leonard Wells (27 October 1933 – 1 October 2021) was an Olympic gold medallist for New Zealand in yachting. With Helmer Pedersen, Wells won the Flying Dutchman class at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Wells was born in Auckland in ...

's death in 2021, she was the only surviving New Zealand medallist from the 1964 Summer Olympics. Chamberlain died in Christchurch on 5 November 2024, at the age of 88.

Honors

Chamberlain Place, in the

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...

suburb of

Chartwell Chartwell is a English country house, country house near Westerham, Kent, in South East England. For over forty years, it was the home of Sir Winston Churchill. He bought the property in September 1922 and lived there until shortly before his ...

, is named in Chamberlain's honour.

References

External links

* *
Page with Photo at ''Sporting Heroes''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chamberlain, Marise 1935 births 2024 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1964 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games New Zealand female middle-distance runners Olympic athletes for New Zealand Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand Athletes from Christchurch Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand World record setters in athletics (track and field) Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) Medallists at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games 20th-century New Zealand sportswomen Commonwealth Games silver medallists in athletics