One more golden lap for Snell

By KATHERINE HOBY

In a timely Olympic tribute to a golden former Olympian, Peter Snell was honoured on TV One's This is Your Life last night.

Just days out from the Sydney Games, Snell, the 1960 Rome Olympic 800m winner and 1964 Tokyo Olympic 800m and 1500m champion, joined the ranks of illustrious - and surprised - New Zealanders who have appeared on the show.

Snell was reunited with the silver and bronze medallists from the Rome race.

Belgian Roger Moens, who was the race favourite and then world record holder but ended up with the silver medal, admitted he had barely heard of Snell before the race.

"I closed my eyes and thought, 'Yes, this is it, you are the champion this time,' on the home stretch and when I opened my eyes there was Peter Snell beside me, in front of me and, who was this man?" he said.

Moens said he had been devastated to lose the race.

Jamaican George Kerr, the bronze medallist, also appeared on last night's tribute.

Snell, stunned at being honoured, admitted that he had been happy simply to make the final in Rome.

"I was in the final. If I was last I was a success," he said.

"I would have been thrilled with the silver.

"It was more you guys [Moens and Kerr] slowing down. I didn't feel like I was accelerating."

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