A former American Olympics gold medallist visited Fiji in 1981 to do some minor repairs on the all-weather track at the National Stadium and to conduct coaching clinics.
This, according to an article published in The Fiji Times on December 10, 1981.
Bill Nieder was in the country in 1979 to supervise the work of the laying out of the track before its official opening in May that year.
The National Stadium was built for the South Pacific Games in September.
Nieder had offered to conduct coaching clinics for all interested athletes while in Fiji.
He was at the National Stadium at 4pm that day to help athletes with their training.
The secretary of Fiji Amateur Athletics Federation, Vuli Waqa, had appealed to all teachers and athletes to attend Nieder’s clinics.
Waqa said local coaches and athletes who specialised in field events should obtain first-hand information from Nieder’s clinic.
Waqa said shotput, discus and hammer throw enthusiasts should make every effort to attend the clinic so they could learn the proper techniques to use.
Nieder won a silver medal in the shotput event in Melbourne in 1956 and a gold medal in the Rome Olympic Games in 1960.
He broke his shotput world record four times in 1960. While at high school, Nieder was the first athlete to throw more than 20 metres.
