Olympic medalist Dick Quax has passed away at 70

Olympic medallist and Auckland Councillor Dick Quax has passed away, at the age of 70.

He had been battling cancer. Quax died in Middlemore Hospital. He had told the Herald in January: "I'm not dying from cancer, I'm living with cancer."

A former world record holder, Quax won silver in the 5000m at the 1976 Montreal Games.
He won silver in the 1500m at the 1970 British Commonwealth Games. In 1977 he had set a world record for the 5000m.

Fellow running great Rod Dixon said Quax died this morning.

"Right now this is the most emotional time, my great friend and competitor passed away peacefully in New Zealand this morning," he said on Facebook.

"To his family my condolences and love at this most difficult time.

"Peaceful journey my great friend."

Quax, with John Walker and Rod Dixon, was one of New Zealand's leading distance runners of the 1970s.

In the 1976 Olympic 5000m final, which also included Dixon, he was beaten by a stride in a dramatic last lap by Lasse Viren, of Finland.

He and Walker both made the move to politics, becoming Auckland councillors after stints as councillors on the former Manukau City Council. Mr Quax missed out at the first Super City elections in 2010, but was elected in a byelection after Jami-Lee Ross resigned to become an MP.

He stood for Parliament for Act in 1999 and 2002. In 2007 he was beaten by Len Brown for the Manukau mayoralty. His family came to New Zealand from the Netherlands in 1954.

NZ Herald