Joe McCluskey

Joe McCluskey (actually Joseph Paul McCluskey, born June 2, 1911 in South Manchester, Connecticut; † August 31, 2002 in Madison, Connecticut) was an American long-distance runners and obstacle.

National title he won twice over 5000 meters (1935, 1937), once in the 10,000 m (1942 ), twice in the 15 - km road race (1941, 1942), nine times over two miles and 3,000 m steeplechase ( 1930-1933, 1935, 1938-1940, 1943) and once in cross country ( 1932). In 1930 he became a U.S. indoor champion over two miles.

At the Olympic Games 1932 in Los Angeles, he won the bronze medal in the 3000 -meter steeplechase. After the regular 3000 m, it was on the silver medal, but the runners completed due to the oversight of a lap counter additional 460 m, where McCluskey was overtaken by the Briton Tom Evenson. McCluskey, who had been alerted to their mistake during the race the judges, was offered a repeat race. However, he refused with the words: " A race has only one finish line. "

Four years later he finished tenth at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin in the same discipline. In 1948, he narrowly missed out on another Olympic participation as fifth in the U.S. elimination fights.

Joe McCluskey was a graduate of Fordham University and worked for three decades in New York City as a stock trader. He was also coach of the New York Athletic Club, for which he had started in his playing days, and worked as a Senior athlete.