Peter Snell delivers his acceptance speech.
"I would like to thank you very much for your kind remarks Mr Stephenson, and also add that I couldn’t have wished to receive this trophy from any other man than yourself. I feel that I have gained this Sportsman of the Year by virtue of my performances in Tokyo with the 800 and 1500 metres. Really, the build-up for these started back in Rome. There, as has already been mentioned, I was able to come through from virtually an unknown to win the gold medal. There was absolutely no pressure on this occasion. I remember feeling, when I’d reached the last 12 in the semi-finals that I had justified my inclusion in the New Zealand team. I had nothing to lose from there and it certainly was a great pleasure to be running free of this type of tension. Things have been quite a bit different since then and I think that my goal was really set on the 1500 m in Tokyo, in the last four years. In between time, a great deal has happened. I have learnt a great about sport, certainly a very great deal about human nature. My career, you would say, has been, has reached some fairly high spots and reached some depths. In some ways, I would say this has definitely been to my advantage. When the people, the public begin to think that an athlete is super human, it is a very great strain and no one really deserves this tag at all.
Herb made a very interesting remark - he said that – he paid a tribute to his coach and at this stage I would like to mention the tremendous assistance I have received from my coach, Arthur Lydiard. [Applause]. No man can succeed in an individual sport, at the top level, without the guidance of someone in the background and Arthur has there all the time. I was largely influenced by him because of the deeds he’d worked with Murray and many of the other distance running boys and my faith in his methods, his personality has never altered. He did a great job, as far as I was concerned, at the Tokyo Olympic Games and I felt this was a fitting tribute that he was selected officially as the coach to the New Zealand track team. [Audience applause].
Referring to some of the other speakers, Herb Elliott, seeing we’re roughly the same age, it’s quite amazing that, somewhere along the line, our careers didn’t clash. They did to a degree, I think the personal score as far as both of us are concerned, is one mile win to Herb in Dublin, after the 1960 Olympics, I was fifth. Two half mile wins to myself the first one in March in 1960, remember when Herb was more or less forced to run and finished about fifth or seventh, I think it was, himself. And then in Dublin the night before, he bet me. I think Herb was fourth - so whether I can say it’s 2-1, I don’t know but I think this does emphasis the fact that I primarily have been a half-miler and Herb, primarily a miler.
But I would like to just finalise by saying that I’m very pleased to have won this award. I would like to congratulate Murray on the work he is doing for the trust and certainly if there is anything any of us can do to assist in the future to assist him along in the work he’s doing, we’re only too happy. Thanks very much."