Murray Cheater

Murray Cheater was one of New Zealand’s great hammer throw exponents. He won the national title 10 times, every year from 1974-84 except 1980, and set the New Zealand record in the event no less than 16 times.

Cheater represented New Zealand at the 1974 Christchurch Commonwealth Games, finishing 5th with a best throw 65.82m. He struggled a little for consistency in Christchurch, beginning with a no throw and a 62.54m effort. There was another no throw and he was down the field until he uncorked his best throw on his fifth attempt.

The big New Zealander also competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where he reached 67.38m, but after three throws was only 16th of 20 competitors, and well outside the top 12 who earned another three throws.

Cheater’s first New Zealand record was a 54.38m effort in 1968. He’d improved that to 71.20m by early 1976. If he’d carried that form to Montreal he’d have been an Olympic bronze medallist! That throw still ranks him third on the all-time New Zealand list behind Angus Cooper and Philip Jensen.

After competing for the Papatoetoe club in Auckland for several years, he shifted to Rotorua in the early 1970s and joined the Rotorua Athletic Club, later Lake City. He always took an interest in other athletes and offered sound advice to many throwers. In Rotorua, Cheater ran a contracting business.

His father, Bob, was President of Athletics Auckland from 1964-66, and later a life member.

Murray Cheater died in 2020, aged 73 after a battle with cancer.