Marise Chamberlain mourned: NZ's only female track Olympic medallist dies at 88

New Zealand's sole female Olympic track medallist, Marise Chamberlain, has died aged 88.

Chamberlain won a bronze medal in the 800 metres at the 1952 Helsinki Games.

She was the first New Zealand woman to win an Olympic medal in athletics and remains the only one to have done so on the track.

Chamberlain was born in Christchurch in 1935 and began running as a teenager. She quickly showed promise, winning the New Zealand junior 800m title in 1951.

She went on to represent New Zealand at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where she finished third in the 800m final behind Nina Ponomareva of the Soviet Union and Ann Todd of Great Britain.

Chamberlain's Olympic medal was a major achievement for New Zealand athletics. It was the country's first Olympic medal in athletics since 1924 and remains the only Olympic medal won by a New Zealand woman on the track.

After her Olympic success, Chamberlain continued to compete for several more years. She won the New Zealand 800m title again in 1953 and 1954, and represented New Zealand at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Chamberlain retired from competitive running in 1956 and went on to become a successful athletics coach. She was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Chamberlain's death is a sad loss for New Zealand athletics. She was a pioneer for women's sport in New Zealand and her Olympic medal remains a source of inspiration for athletes today.