15 Facts About Yvette Williams

Yvette Williams grew up there and attended Otago Girls' High School.

Yvette Williams represented Otago, the South Island and New Zealand in basketball.

Yvette Williams joined the Otago Athletic Club in early 1947, mainly for social reasons.

Yvette Williams went on to win 21 national titles across 5 disciplines: shot put, javelin, discus, long jump and the 80 m hurdles.

When Bellwood moved to Auckland in 1952 to teach at Avondale College, Yvette Williams followed, boarding with an aunt and uncle in Devonport.

Controversially left out of the New Zealand team for the 1948 Olympic Games in London, Yvette Williams won the long jump title at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland.

Also at Helsinki, Yvette Williams finished in sixth place in the shot put and 10th in the discus throw.

In February 1954, Yvette Williams broke the women's long jump world record at Gisborne, New Zealand, with a leap of 6.28 metres.

Yvette Williams announced her retirement from athletic competition in November 1954.

Yvette Williams married Buddy Corlett, a member of the national basketball team, in Auckland on 11 December 1954.

Yvette Williams died in Auckland on 13 April 2019 at the age of 89,12 days before her 90th birthday.

Yvette Williams was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics in the 2011 New Year Honours.

Yvette Williams was twice named the New Zealand Sportsman of the Year, for 1950 and 1952.

Yvette Williams was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.

Yvette Williams had been advised of the award before her death.