- John Jesus Flanagan
John Jesus Flanagan (
January 9 1873 -June 3 1938 ) was a three-time Olympic gold medalist in thehammer throw : 1900, 1904, and 1908.John Jesus Flanagan was born in
Kilbreedy ,County Limerick ,Ireland onJanuary 9 ,1873 . He emigrated to the United States in 1897. At that time he already held the world record for thehammer throw , and joined theNew York Athletic Club . he was also also competed for theIrish American Athletic Club .In 1900 he represented his new country at the Olympic Games in
Paris ,France . Flanagan, the only non-college man to medal for the Americans, outdistanced American athleteTruxton Hare by 4.75 meters in the hammer throw. Hare andJosiah McCracken , both college football players fromPennsylvania , took silver and bronze. Flanagan also competed in the discus throw, finishing seventh.Flanagan joined the
New York City Police Department in 1903. His first assignment was the Bureau of Licenses, where he had little to do and could take time off to train and compete.In 1904, sporting the Winged Fist of the
Irish American Athletic Club inSt. Louis, Missouri Olympic Games Flanagan set a new world record of 168 feet, 1 inch. He placed second to Etienne the Gendarme in the 56-pound throw event.In the 1908 Olympics in
London , Flanagan broke his own record with a hammer throw of 170 feet, 4.5 inches. The silver that year went to another New York City police officer, the former record holderMatt McGrath . John Flanagan competed in theTug-of-war as well.On
July 24 ,1909 , Flanagan became the oldest world record breaker at age 41, when he threw the hammer 56.18 meters.Flanagan quit the police force in 1910, after his "public office" squad was abolished and he was transferred to the West 68th Street Station and forced to walk a beat along
Central Park West . That gave him no time to compete, and kept him up late. He left the U.S. in 1911.When his Father died in 1924, Flanagan went back to
Kilmallock ,County Limerick , in the Ireland. He died there onJune 3 ,1938 .In the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, the U.S. lost for the first time in the event - to an Irishman, Dr.
Patrick O'Callaghan , who'd been trained by John Flanagan.ources
* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/profiles/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=58691 Olympic biography and pictures of John Flanagan]
*Obituary in "New York Times", June 5, 1938
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