Murray Cheater

In the mid-1970s New Zealand track and field athlete Murray Cheater joined the Rotorua Athletic Club where he specialised in the hammer throw. At the time Cheater was the best hammer thrower in the country, winning 10 national titles from 1974 to 1984, only missing out in 1980. He also improved the New Zealand national record in the event on 16 occasions, finishing with a personal best throw of 71.20 metres in January 1976.

In 1974 Cheater competed in the hammer throw at the British Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, finishing fifth with 65.82 metres. His consistent performances at the New Zealand championships earned him a place on the Olympic team for the 1976 Montréal Olympics. At the Games, however, he finished 16th in the qualification round with a best throw of 67.38 metres, with only the top-12 progressing to the final. One year later Cheater won bronze at the Pacific Conference Games in Canberra.

Personal Best: HT – 71.20 (1976).