Reflecting on Williams' world record-breaking long jump 70 years ago in Gisborne

The long jump world record leap of Yvette Williams in Gisborne on February 20, 1954, was captured in this photo from the Corlett family collection which appears in the book Ideals Are Like Stars: The Dame Yvette Williams Story written by former Olympian and Commonwealth Games rhythmic gymnast medallist Angela Walker.

Gisborne Herald reporter Wynsley Wrigley looks back at the greatest day in Gisborne athletics history — just over 70 years ago when New Zealand ‘s Yvette Williams set a world record for the long jump.

With Yvette Williams, a promise made is a promise kept.

That is how The Gisborne Herald introduced its article on the New Zealand track and field great breaking the world record for the long jump at Childers Road Reserve on February 20, 1954.

Williams had made many attempts at the record held by legendary Dutch athlete Fanny Blankers-Koen in the New Zealand summer of 1954, including at Invercargill before a young Queen Elizabeth II, who was on her first trip to New Zealand.

The 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games long jump gold medallist also made a previous attempt at Gisborne on January 9 of that year.

She failed but vowed to return, saying Gisborne had the best run-up in the country.

It was 3.05pm on February 20 when Williams made her first attempt at Childers Road Reserve.

“In perfect form, she sailed through the quiet air,” wrote The Gisborne Herald.

Williams was ecstatic.

“I knew straight away,” she later said.

It was ironic that Williams succeeded at her first attempt.

She had failed at her first two jumps at Helsinki and came close to disqualification before going on to become the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic Gold medal.

It was at Helsinki that Williams set herself the target of establishing a new world record.

With her gold medal-winning jump of 6.24 metres (20 feet 5¾ inches) an Olympic record, Williams was just one centimetre short of Blankers-Koen’s mark.

“I knew I would be able to break it,” she said.

Williams jumped 6.29m (20 feet 7½ inches) at Gisborne to the joy of herself, family members and the public.

A large and expectant crowd gathered at Childers Road Reserve in anticipation of a potentially historic day.

Advertising in The Gisborne Herald invited the public to “see Ms Yvette Williams”.

Although the meeting started on Saturday morning, the ad specified that Williams’ world record attempt would start at 3pm.

The record attempt was also covered live on radio, indicating huge public interest.

Officials at the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty meeting put a green flag marking her own New Zealand record into the ground, along with a red flag indicating the world record mark.

The crowd could easily see that Williams had achieved her goal and burst out in cheers and applause. A joyous Williams leapt into the air.

Fellow competitors embraced her and officials raised their arms in jubilation.

Williams then walked back to the end of her run-up and wrapped herself in a towel.

The Gisborne Amateur Athletics Association had arranged for the presence of Williams’ parents. Her father left the grandstand and embraced her and her mother later kissed her.

Another notable attendee was Gisborne’s own Norma Wilson — the first woman to represent New Zealand at the Olympic Games  (Amsterdam 1928).

More cheers and applause broke out when meeting officials announced Williams’ world record was official.

Wiliams also broke the national record for the shot put that day.

Interviewed by The Gisborne Herald for the 50th anniversary of her achievement in 2004, the now Yvette Corlette said the weather and wind conditions were good on that Gisborne day.

She recalled the huge hype, including a large and excited crowd and live radio broadcasting.

She told The Herald that she did wonder how she would have gone in modern athletics.

“I wasn’t that fast but I had a lot of spring.”

Working with coach Jim Bellwood, Wiliams developed a Jesse Owens-type “hitch kick” in training which consisted of the athlete leaping in mid-air off Dunedin’s St Clair Beach and “running” in the air to gain extra strength.

Later, when living in Auckland, she would train at the Domain in army boots for 30 to 45 minutes.

She explained to another interviewer that “the theory was that when I didn’t have the boots on, I’d feel like I was flying.”

Williams married New Zealand basketballer Buddy Corlett late in 1954 and retired from athletics aged 25.

She never returned to Gisborne as a competing athlete but camped here with her family.

Dame Yvette Williams

Born in Dunedin, April 25, 1929.

Attended Otago Girls’ High.

Represented Otago, the South Island and New Zealand (1950, 1953-55)  in basketball.

Attended the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland — gold in long jump.; silver in javelin.

Attended the 1952 Olympics Games in Helsinki — gold in long jump.

Attended British Empire and British Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, 1954 — gold in long jump, discus (two events held simultaneously) and shot put.

NZ Sportsman of the Year in 1950 and 1952.

Voted NZ Athlete of the Decade for the 1950s.

Voted Otago Sportsperson of the Century in 2000.

Awarded an MBE in 1953; Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2011; posthumously promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019.

Inducted into New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Married Buddy Corlett in December 1954; had four children.

Died in April 2019, 12 days short of her 90th birthday.