Dame Yvette Winifred Williams

At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Yvette Winifred Williams etched her name in history as New Zealand’s first female Olympic gold medallist, leaping an Olympic-record-setting 6.24 meters in the long jump and securing another silver in javelin.

In 1954, Yvette launched herself into the record books again, with a world record breaking long jump of 6.28 meters. She then went on to dominate the Vancouver Empire Games with gold medals in long jump, discus, and shot put—all of them Games records—her strength and elegance rewriting what it meant to be a champion.

Named New Zealand Sportsman of the Year in 1950 and 1952, she retired in November 1954 at the age of 25, her legacy as one of the track and field greats secured.

The Darling of New Zealand Athletics— Graham Walton, Eden Park Historian, 2025

Visit Purewa and get to know Yvette and many other sports legends with our multimedia self-guiding Heritage Tour App!

With Purewa’s Heritage Tour app, you can be inspired by the lives of those remembered here.

Simply download the app to your phone or tablet and enjoy a stroll through Purewa’s beautiful grounds.

You can do it as a step-by-step tour, following the numbered route on the app map.

Or you can browse the app and go directly to those who interest you the most.

You can even do a virtual visit on your home computer. (Hint: the tour opens in map browsing mode, select your favourite person from the profiles menu at top right of the screen.)

Here are your links – click the buttons below: