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Sylvia Potts

1943 – 1999

New Zealand middle-distance runner

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About Sylvia Potts

Lived 1943 – 1999 (aged 55). Sylvia Potts was a New Zealand middle-distance runner.

Athletics career

National championships Coached by Allan Potts from 1963,

Potts ran her personal best for the 800 m, a national record time of 2:04.0, in winning the 1970 national championship.

Potts was given the honour of running the final leg of the Queen's Baton Relay at the opening of the 1974 British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, running the baton carrying the Queen's message into the Queen Elizabeth II Park stadium and presenting it to the Duke of Edinburgh.

Honours and legacy In the 1998 Queen's Birthday Honours, Potts was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to athletics. In 2008, she was one of the second group of inductees onto the University of Otago School of Physical Education's wall of fame.

Following Potts' death, the major annual track and field meet in Hawke's Bay was named the Sylvia Potts Classic. It was renamed the Allan and Sylvia Potts Classic in 2015 after the death of Allan Potts.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
University of Otago
Also known as
Sylvia Mildred Potts

People in Sylvia Potts's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sylvia Potts's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sylvia Potts?

New Zealand middle-distance runner

When was Sylvia Potts born?

Sylvia Potts was born on 19 September 1943 in Palmerston North.

When did Sylvia Potts die?

Sylvia Potts died on 31 August 1999 in Hastings.

What was Sylvia Potts's occupation?

Sylvia Potts was a middle-distance runner.

What nationality was Sylvia Potts?

Sylvia Potts was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sylvia Potts

· Wikidata: Q21997098

· DBpedia: Sylvia Potts

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sylvia Potts. https://biography.guide/sylvia-potts/

MLA: "Sylvia Potts." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sylvia-potts/.

Chicago: "Sylvia Potts." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sylvia-potts/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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