On this day 120 years ago, Great Britain added a silver medal to their Olympic haul – but that came via Galway man John Daly who finished second in the steeplechase event.
With Irish entries not appearing until the 1924 Olympics in Paris, Daly's silver in St Louis – and the gold medal claimed by Tipperary’s Tom Kiely for all-around athletics – is part of Team GB’s tally given there was no possibility of operating under the Ireland banner at the time.
"John J Daly made his debut in the arena of American athletics and, undoubtedly, his maiden essay was one worthy of himself and his country," reported the Tuam Herald on 3 September 1904.
While gold trumps silver, and any medal is noteworthy, it was Daly rather than Kiely who has links to one of the most infamous events in Olympic history.
John J, as he was often known, was a listed entry in the 1904 Olympic marathon in Missouri – a race simply absurd from start to finish.
And it was right from the very start with eight of the 40 athletes, Daly included, opting not to partake.
With the event due to take place a day after his steeplechase success, it would be fair to assume that the conditions facing the athletes may have contributed to his U-turn, however, it seems that illness – including the sea sickness he suffered en-route to America – was mostly responsible.
"I felt indisposed the day the marathon race was held," he said in a self-penned article in the Tuam Herald in December 1904.
The official Games website describes the marathon as "the strangest race in Olympic history" and if you think that is hyperbole, read on.
One runner, Cuba’s Andarín Carvajal, came to the start line in long trousers, a white shirt and walking shoes – an indication that not all were aware of what lay in store.
Carvajal would have a dramatic day with the sweltering heat and dusty course causing mayhem across the Missouri plains. One water-stop was all that was available too.
Carvajal was motoring nicely when he spotted an orchard and fancied a mid-race snack. Unfortunately for him, the apples were rotten and after suffering cramps he had to take a nap. He still finished fourth.
First over the finish line was American Fred Lorz but just as he was about to be presented with the winning trophy by Alice Roosevelt, daughter of then US President Teddy, it was established that after suffering with cramp, he had hitched a ride for about half the race and jumped out a few kilometres from the finish line.
Lorz insisted it was a practical joke and when his ban was eventually shortened, he would claim a form of redemption by winning the 1905 Boston marathon.
American William Garcia had led for a while but he inhaled so much dust that he started coughing up blood and suffered a near-fatal stomach haemorrhage.
Len Taunyane, a member of the South African Tswana tribe present for the world fair attached to the Games, had been performing well before a pack of wild dogs forced him off the course and with extra length to cover, he had to be content with a ninth-placed finish.
USA’s Thomas Hicks – English born - eventually won with a time of 3:28.53, but he was essentially dragged home by his trainers towards the end as hallucinations took over. Those may be explained by the dose of strychnine – sometimes used as rodent poison – they gave him during the race along with some brandy and egg whites.
Perhaps then, better that Daly kept to the steeplechase – the only time it was held at a 2590 metre distance.
Daly was the fancy of many, but American Jim Lightbody won gold in his first attempt at the event with the Irishman second in a time of 7:40.6.
The Galway native was a real all-rounder in his early athletics day, participating in the high jump and long jump while racing against the great Tom Hynes, the winner of the first professional marathon to be held in Ireland in 1909.
A regular winner of international meets, Daly also participated in the 1906 Intercalated Games in Athens – then considered an Olympic Games but the medals were later not recognised by the IOC.
Daly did manage to make it to the starting line for the marathon event on that occasion and was leading comfortably well into the race. However, an old ankle injury caused when fielding a ball and coming down into a horse track whilst playing Gaelic football for Corofin Rebels against Dunmore flared up.
The issue of nationalism was rife at the meet in Greece with Daly, Con Leahy and Peter O’Connor initially being sent as Irish representatives before being claimed by Great Britain as only athletes nominated by national Olympic committees were eligible, something they reportedly didn't find out until their arrival.
O’Connor had set a long jump world record in 1901, and it would hold as the Irish record until Carlos O'Connell went further some 89 years later in Maryland, America.
Myer Prinstein beat O’Connor to gold in Athens in 1906, but at the medal ceremony under the Union Jack, he unveiled an Irish flag in protest with Daly and Leahy helping to protect him.
PETER O'CONNOR: THE IRISH ANTELOPE
"I do not know exactly what made me do it, but it was just a feeling I had," Daly told the Connacht Tribune of their protest in 1958.
Daly was selected to compete in the 1908 Olympics in London but injury ruled that out before he relocated to America where he continued to run for a number of years – finishing second in the 1909 Yonkers marathon, the second oldest in the USA after the Boston event.
He died in 1969 at the age of 89 having provided another fantastic Olympic legacy for Ireland.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
