Snell ‘feeling better’ after heart scare

Kiwi Olympic great Sir Peter Snell is recovering in Dallas after a heart scare last week.

The 80-year-old, who first developed heart problems in 2010, passed out while driving and crashed into several parked vehicles last Thursday (Friday NZ time).

Snell won three Olympic gold medals, and is the only male since 1920 to win the 800 and 1500 metres at the same Olympics, in 1964.

He was recovering at his home in Dallas, Texas, and wife Miki Snell said he was slowly on the improve.

‘‘He’s feeling better. He’s had another blood test and all his numbers are looking good,’’ she told

‘‘They were concerned about one thing, but it’s come back down to normal.

‘‘He’s on a good path to feel a lot better and do better. He’s still a little panicked, because it was kind of a hard episode that he went through.’’

Snell was heading back from a visit to the dentist when he passed out and hit ‘‘a couple of parked cars’’. Miki said Snell wasn’t injured from the crash and hadn’t been travelling very fast. It is understood an electrolyte imbalance caused him to pass out.

‘‘It’s kind of a delicate balance with all his meds [medicine]. He has to keep everything closely balanced and he got off balance a little bit with some of the stuff. He had too low potassium and it played with him badly and caused an arrhythmia.’’

Snell had planned to attend the World Athletics Heritage Mile Night in Monte Carlo on Thursday night, but after feeling unwell at the airport in Dallas, decided against going. He was going to be presented with two surprise world record plaques at the event in Monte Carlo for the 1000m and one-mile records he set in Auckland.