Pat O'Callaghan

Pat O'Callaghan (actually: Patrick O'Callaghan, born September 15, 1905 in Derry Gallon, County Cork, † 1 December 1991 in Clonmel ) was an Irish hammer thrower and two-time Olympic champion.

Life

O'Callaghan studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. After completing his studies in 1926 he served in the medical corps of the Royal Air Force. In 1928 he returned to Ireland and opened his own practice in Clonmel ( County Tipperary ).

1927 took O'Callaghan in Dublin for the first time in a hammer throwing contest. Soon he left all opponents behind. At the Olympic Games in Amsterdam in 1928, he won the gold medal. He was the first Olympic champion of independent Ireland, several Olympic champion in this discipline, John Flanagan (3 wins ) and Pat Ryan had indeed been born Irish, but competed for the United States. 1932 in Los Angeles, he repeated this success. O'Callaghan was not allowed to participate in 1936 in Berlin, as the IAAF refused to recognize the Irish Association.

During his career O'Callaghan Irish won six league titles in the hammer throw, shot put, weight throw distance and high jump. In 1937 he exhibited at an unofficial world record in the hammer throw at the Championships of County Cork. He reached a width of 59.55 meters, but the IAAF still refused to recognize the Irish Association and so the union was not officially recognized. O'Callaghans length was exceeded only in 1949.

Dr. O'Callaghan practiced for more than sixty years in Clonmel and closed his practice until he was well over eighty years of age.