Neil Bates
Kennard Neil Bates (30 May 1928 – 14 July 2003) was a New Zealand middle-distance athlete who represented his country at the 1950 British Empire Games.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kennard Neil Bates |
| Born | 30 May 1928 |
| Died | 14 July 2003 (aged 75) |
| Sport | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | 1 mile champion (1949) |
Hailing from Stratford and representing West Coast North Island, Bates won the New Zealand junior 1 mile title in 1947, recording a time of 4:22.8.[1][2] In 1949, he progressed to the senior ranks and won the men's 1 mile title at the New Zealand athletics championships, in a time of 4:18.2.[1][2] The following year, he represented New Zealand at the 1950 British Empire Games in Auckland in the men's 1 mile,[3] where he ran a time of 4:25.8 to finish sixth in his heat and did not progress to the final.[4]
Bates died on 14 July 2003, and his ashes were buried at Hillcrest Cemetery, Whakatāne.[5][6]
References
- "Amateur athletics". Opunake Times. 18 February 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- Hollings, Stephen (December 2016). "National champions 1887–2016" (PDF). Athletics New Zealand. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
- "Neil Bates". New Zealand Olympic Committee. 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- "Neil Bates". Commonwealth Games Federation. 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- "Death search: registration number 2003/15693". Births, deaths & marriages online. Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
- "Cemeteries search". Whakatāne District Council. Retrieved 16 May 2020.