Yvette Williams

Yvette Winifred Corlett  (née Williams, 25 April 1929 – 13 April 2019) was a New Zealand athlete. She won the gold medal in the women's long jump at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. This made her the first woman from her country to win an Olympic gold medal. She was also the first New Zealander to hold the world record in the women's long jump. She was a national champion and a medallist at the Commonwealth Games in long jump, javelin, shot put and discus. On the 100th anniversary of Athletics New Zealand in 1987, Yvette was named "Athlete of the Century".

Williams was born in Dunedin. She married Canadian-born New Zealand sportsman Buddy Corlett in 1954. He died in 2015.

Williams died on 13 April 2019, at the age of 89.

References

Other websites

 Yvette Williams  at Sports-Reference.com

Category:1929 births
Category:2019 deaths
Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire
Category:New Zealand athletes
Category:Long jumpers
Category:Shot putters
Category:Discus throwers
Category:Javelin throwers
Category:Olympic gold medalists for New Zealand
Category:Sportspeople from Dunedin