Tom Kiely
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's athletics | ||
Representing | ||
Olympic Games | ||
1904 St Louis | All-around |
Thomas "Tom" Francis Kiely (25 August 1869 – 6 November 1951) was an Irish athlete.
Biography
Kiely competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis, Missouri, in the all-round, which consisted of 100 yd run, shot put, high jump, 880 yd walk, hammer throw, pole vault, 120 yd hurdles, 56 pounds weight throw, long jump and 1 mile run. All ten events were held on the same day. He won the gold medal.
Kiely was thirty-four at this time. The British team had approached him with promises of his fare and expenses, and American sponsorship was also offered but, as a committed nationalist, he decided to go on his own, representing his native country. He raised the fare partly by selling many of the prizes he had won over the years and sailed to the USA at the end of May.[1]
In America he had several more offers to join the American or British teams. But again he declined and made it clear in all statements to the press that he would represent only Ireland in the Olympic Games.[1] As Ireland was not independent in 1904 the IOC lists him as representative of the team of Great Britain and Ireland at the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Kiely was from Ballyneale, just outside Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He achieved his gold in 1904 becoming the first multi-event track champion in the Modern Olympic Games.
References
- 1 2 The amazing tale of Ireland's greatest-ever Olympian, Irish Independent, August 11, 2012
External links
- Ballyneale’s Tom Kiely: a legendary all-rounder, The Munster Express, Feb 19, 2010.