Liz Chase
Who was Liz Chase?
Field hockey player who represented Zimbabwe at the 1980 Moscow Olympics, competing in the women's tournament.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Liz Chase (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Elizabeth Muriel Chase (26 April 1950 – 9 May 2018) was a Zimbabwean field hockey player, best known for being part of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Born in Umtali, now called Mutare, she grew up in what was then Rhodesia and developed a love for field hockey early on. She went to Girls High School in Salisbury, now known as Harare, where her talent for sports was evident. By 1966, she was on the national schools field hockey team and later joined the national under-21 squad.
After finishing school, Chase moved to South Africa to study physical education. While there, she played at a high level for her university team and for the provincial teams of Wits and Southern Transvaal. Her performance earned her a spot on the South Africa B team in 1973 and 1974, and she played for the Springbok Ladies hockey team in 1976 and 1977. Her time in South Africa improved her skills and gained her recognition internationally, even as the region faced political and social challenges. The Rhodesian Bush War affected her personal life, with friends and family affected during this difficult period.
Returning to Rhodesia, Chase joined the Old Hararians club and started teaching physical education at Oriel Girls High School in Salisbury. She consistently made the Zimbabwe women's national field hockey team and competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, where Zimbabwe won the gold medal in the women's tournament. This win was significant, as Zimbabwe had just become an independent nation in 1980, and the Olympic gold was a milestone in the country's sports history.
In the early 1980s, Chase moved back to South Africa, where she continued her work in physical education. She eventually became head of the physical education department at the University of the Witwatersrand, a role she held by 2000. She retired in 2015 after a long career in education and sport. Chase passed away from cancer on 9 May 2018 in Johannesburg, just two weeks after her 68th birthday. She was the first member of Zimbabwe's 1980 Olympic field hockey team to die.
Before Fame
Elizabeth Chase grew up in Umtali, Rhodesia, during the mid-twentieth century, a time when women's sports in southern Africa were growing but still had limited international reach. Her years at Girls High School in Salisbury were key to her development as an athlete, and her selection for the national schools hockey team at just sixteen showed her exceptional talent. The school sports culture in Rhodesia, heavily influenced by British educational traditions, provided structured opportunities for young women like Chase to enter competitive sports.
Deciding to study physical education in South Africa after high school was crucial for her growth as a player. Competing for university and provincial teams in South Africa exposed her to a higher level of competition than she would have found if she had stayed in Rhodesia. Being chosen for the South Africa B team and then the Springbok Ladies hockey team showed that she was among the top players in the region, setting the stage for her eventual play at the Olympic level.
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in women's field hockey at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow as a member of the Zimbabwe national team.
- Represented the Springbok Ladies hockey team for South Africa in 1976 and 1977.
- Selected for the South Africa B field hockey team in 1973 and 1974.
- Named to Zimbabwe's women's national field hockey team every year following her return to Rhodesia from South Africa.
- Served as head of the physical education department at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa.
Did You Know?
- 01.Chase is the first member of Zimbabwe's gold medal-winning 1980 Olympic field hockey team to have died.
- 02.She represented two different national teams during her career, playing for South Africa before eventually competing for Zimbabwe at the Olympics.
- 03.Chase lost friends and family members during the Rhodesian Bush War, which was fought throughout the 1970s while she was developing as an elite player.
- 04.She was born in Umtali, a city that was renamed Mutare following Zimbabwean independence in 1980, the same year she won Olympic gold.
- 05.Chase spent part of her career teaching physical education at Oriel Girls High School in Salisbury while simultaneously competing at the national level.