Edward Cook (athlete)

Edward Cook ( born November 27, 1889 as Edward Tiffin Cook Jr. in Chillicothe, Ohio; † October 18, 1972 ) was an American track and field athlete. At a height of 1.78 m his competition weight was 66 kg.

In 1908, the two Americans Walter Dray and Alfred Gilbert provided a competition for the improvement of the ( unofficial ) world record in the pole vault, during which the world record of Dray from 1907 was increased from 3.79 meters to 3.90 meters. Gilbert jumped 3,855 meters and 3.86 meters set two world records.

At the Olympic Games in 1908 Dray was not at the start. Alfred Gilbert jumped 3.71 meters, but Edward Cook came to the same height. A jump-off was not performed and so both athletes were declared Olympic champions, and three more to Olympic bronze medalists. Cook joined also in the long jump and was fourth with 6.97 meters.

Edward Cook worked after graduating from Cornell University as a farmer and later a director of the First National Bank of Chillicothe.