David Hall (athlete)

David Connolly Hall ( * May 1, 1875, † May 27, 1972 ) was an American athlete and medal winner at the Olympic Games.

Hall was a student at Brown University and was regarded as a universal athlete whose strengths, however, were in the middle distance running. In 1896, he learned of athletes at Boston University about their efforts to participate in the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Hall received an invitation, but he could not muster the funds for the trip, which had to be paid out of pocket or from donations.

Participation of Hall at national championships or students Championships is not occupied. His first title won Hall in 1898 as Master of the New England states over 880 yards.

The year 1900 was the highlight of his sporting career. He won again in the championships of the New England states over 880 yards and also about 2 miles. With these successes, he took his leave for the U.S. team, which traveled to the Summer Olympic Games in 1900 to Paris.

In Paris, Hall participated in the 800 - and the 1500 -meter run. The first competition for Hall was his lead in the 800 meters, which he effortlessly won against the eventual Olympic champion, the British Alfred Tysoe. He put it on with 1:59,0 min an Olympic record that would not be undercut in the course of the Games. Two days later, Hall was thanks to his lead time as the favorite in the final. In the race, there was an incident when John Cregan, later Second, Hall joined the heel, which thereby lost his shoe. Hall did not protest and was satisfied with third place.

The Heats over 1500 meters should be on July 15, a Sunday, held. With Hall, three more U.S. athletes wanted to participate. Two of them, John Cregan and Alex Grant, any sport rejected on a Sunday for religious reasons and gave up a start. The organizers had basically no pity on the wishes of many U.S. athletes who wanted to deny any competition on a Sunday. They decided summarily, to waive the preliminary heats over 1500 meters because of the now smaller number of participants, and to organize the final run immediately. However, Hall could not take advantage of the unexpected opportunity and took almost 2 m behind John Bray fourth place.

The rankings at the Olympic Games for David Connolly Hall:

• II Summer Olympic Games in 1900, Paris 800 m - BRONZE with 2:05,0 min ( Gold Alfred Tysoe, GBR with 2:01,2 min; silver to John Cregan, USA with 2:03,0 min)
• 1500 m - Fourth of unknown time (Gold Charles Bennett, GBR with 4:06,2 min)

1901 Hall took his degree at Brown University and devoted himself to the less active sports but won reputation as a coach and professor of hygiene and physical education. In 1908 he found a new home in Seattle, where he took over the management of the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education at the University of Washington. In addition, he coached two years (1909 and 1910 ), the basketball team and was five years ( 1909-1910 and 1912-1914 ) manager of athletics.

In World War I he organized the Medical Corps of the United States. In 1918 he returned to Seattle and organized at the University of Washington a health care system, which eventually led in 1936 to a permanent establishment of a health center and 1947 in honor awarded him the name Hall Student Health Center.

1948 Hall moved back into private life. The Brown University took him into the Hall of Honor of the University Sports, University Sports Hall of Fame. He died at the age of 97 years.