In June 2005 it was revealed that Grete she was being treated for cancer. On 19 April 2011,
she died of the illness, aged 57. The Norwegian government announced she would be buried with
government honour at state expense, the sixth woman in Norwegian history to be given this honor.
She won the New York marathon in 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986 and 1988.
In 1983 Grete Waitz won the London marathon and the World Cross Country Championship also
in the UK at Gateshead. In London she set her best ever time of 2:24:54 when winning the 1986
London marathon.
There is a statue of her outside the Bislett Stadium in Oslo.
| |
|
Women's Marathon.
World Athletics Championships 1983.
|
| |
| 1. Grete WAITZ |
|
NOR |
|
2: 28: 09 |
| 2. Marianne Dickerson |
|
USA |
|
2: 31: 09 |
| 3. Raisa Katyukova-Smekhnova |
|
SOV |
|
2: 31: 13 |
| 4. Rosa Mota |
|
POR |
|
2: 31: 50 |
| 5. Jacqueline Gareau |
|
CAN |
|
2: 32: 35 |
| 6. Laura Fogli |
|
ITA |
|
2: 33: 31 |
| 7. Regina Joyce |
|
IRL |
|
2: 33: 52 |
| 8. Tuija Toivonen-Jousimaa |
|
FIN |
|
2: 34: 14 |
| 9. Joyce Smith |
|
GBR |
|
2: 34: 27 |
|
|
|
Women's Marathon.
Olympic Games 1984.
|
| |
| 1. Joan BENOIT |
|
USA |
|
2: 24: 52 |
| 2. Grete WAITZ |
|
NOR |
|
2: 26: 18 |
| 3. Rosa MOTA |
|
POR |
|
2: 26: 57 |
| 4. Ingrid KRISTIANSEN |
|
NOR |
|
2: 27: 34 |
| 5. Lorraine MOLLER |
|
NZL |
|
2: 28: 34 |
| 6. Priscilla WELCH |
|
GBR |
|
2: 28: 54 |
| 7. Lisa MARTIN |
|
AUS |
|
2: 29: 03 |
| 8. Sylvie RUEGGER |
|
CAN |
|
2: 29: 09 |
| |
|
|
|
. |
Grete Waitz is pictured above crossing the line in 1st place in the women's
3,000m at the 1977 World Cup in Dusseldorf.
The following year the Norwegian won her first medal at a major
championship when winning bronze at the European Championships in Prague.
(The World Cup is an 'invitation' event not an open Championship.)
.
| |
|
Women's 3000m. Final.
World Cup 1977
|
| |
|
|
. |
|
| 1. Grete WAITZ |
|
NOR |
|
8: 43.5 |
| 2. Lyudmila BRAGINA |
|
URS |
|
8: 46.3 |
| 3. Jan MERRILL |
|
USA |
|
8: 46.6 |
|
|
|
Women's 3000m. Final.
European Athletics Championships 1978
|
| |
|
|
. |
|
| 1. Svetlana ULMASOVA |
|
URS |
|
8.33.16 |
| 2. Natalia MARASESCU |
|
ROM |
|
8.33.53 |
| 3. Grete WAITZ |
|
NOR |
|
8.34.33 |
| 4. Maricica PUICA |
|
ROM |
|
8.40.90 |
| 5. Giana ROMANOVA |
|
URS |
|
8.45.70 |
| 6. Cornelia BURKI |
|
SUI |
|
8.46.13 |
| |