Peter O'Connor
Encyclopedia
Peter O'Connor was an Irish athlete who set a long-standing world record for the long jump and won two Olympic medals in the 1906 Games
.
, Cumberland
, England
on 24 October 1872, O'Connor grew up in Wicklow
, County Wicklow, Ireland
. He joined the Gaelic Athletic Association
(GAA) in 1896. In 1899 he won All-Ireland medals in long jump
, high jump
and hop, step and jump
(triple jump). Over the next ten years he consistently beat British athletes in international competitions. The (British) Amateur Athletic Association invited him to represent Britain in the Olympic Games in 1900, but he refused as he only wished to represent Ireland.
of Syracuse University
, at 24 ft 7¼ins. In 1900 and 1901, competing with the Irish Amateur Athletic Association (IAAA), a rival association to the GAA, O'Connor set several unofficial world records in the long jump. He set an officially recognised world record of 24 ft 9ins at the Royal Dublin Society
’s grounds in Dublin on 27 May 1901. On 5 August 1901 he jumped 24ft 11¾ins (7.61m) in Dublin. This was the first IAAF
recognised long jump world record. It caused a sensation at the time, being only a fraction short of the 25ft barrier, and remained unbeaten for 20 years, a longevity surpassed only by Jesse Owens
's 25-year record and Bob Beamon
's 23-year record. It remained an Irish record for a remarkable 89 years.
In 1906 O'Connor and two other athletes, Con Leahy and John Daly
, were entered for the Intercalated Games
in Athens by the IAAA and GAA, representing Ireland. They were given green blazers and cap with a gold shamrock, and an Irish flag (the ‘Erin Go Bragh
’ flag). However, the rules of the games were changed so that only athletes nominated by National Olympic Committees were eligible. Ireland did not have an Olympic Committee, and the British Olympic Council claimed the three. On registering for the Games, O'Connor and his fellow-athletes found that they were listed as Great Britain, not Irish, team members.
In the long jump competition, O'Connor finally met Myer Prinstein
of the Irish American Athletic Club
who was competing for the U.S. team and whose world record O'Connor had broken five years previously. The only judge for the competition was Matthew Halpin, who was manager of the American team. O'Connor protested, fearing bias, but was overruled. He continued to protest Halpin's decisions through the remainder of the competition. The distances were not announced until the end of the competition. When they were, Prinstein was declared the winner, with O'Connor in Silver Medal position.
At the flag-raising ceremony, in protest at the flying of the Union Flag
for his second place, O'Connor scaled a flagpole in the middle of the field and waved the Irish flag, while the pole was guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters.
In the hop, step and jump competition two days later, O'Connor beat his fellow-countryman, Con Leahy, to win the Gold Medal. At 34 he was the oldest ever Gold Medal winner in this event. Prinstein, the champion in 1900
and 1904
, did not feature in the medals.
, and was married with nine children. He died in Waterford on 9 November 1957.
1906 Summer Olympics
The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games in Athens" by the International Olympic Committee...
.
Early career
Born in MillomMillom
Millom is a town and civil parish on the estuary of the River Duddon in the southwest of Cumbria, England. The name is Cumbrian dialect for "At the mills". The town is accessible both by rail and an A class road...
, Cumberland
Cumberland
Cumberland is a historic county of North West England, on the border with Scotland, from the 12th century until 1974. It formed an administrative county from 1889 to 1974 and now forms part of Cumbria....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 24 October 1872, O'Connor grew up in Wicklow
Wicklow
Wicklow) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. Located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island, it has a population of 10,070 according to the 2006 census. The town is situated to the east of the N11 route between Dublin and Wexford. Wicklow is also connected to the rail...
, County Wicklow, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He joined the Gaelic Athletic Association
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) in 1896. In 1899 he won All-Ireland medals in long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
, high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
and hop, step and jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
(triple jump). Over the next ten years he consistently beat British athletes in international competitions. The (British) Amateur Athletic Association invited him to represent Britain in the Olympic Games in 1900, but he refused as he only wished to represent Ireland.
World record
As of June 1900, the world record for the long jump was held by Myer PrinsteinMyer Prinstein
Myer Prinstein was an American athlete and member of the Irish American Athletic Club...
of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, at 24 ft 7¼ins. In 1900 and 1901, competing with the Irish Amateur Athletic Association (IAAA), a rival association to the GAA, O'Connor set several unofficial world records in the long jump. He set an officially recognised world record of 24 ft 9ins at the Royal Dublin Society
Royal Dublin Society
The Royal Dublin Society was founded on 25 June 1731 to "to promote and develop agriculture, arts, industry, and science in Ireland". The RDS is synonymous with its main premises in Ballsbridge in Dublin, Ireland...
’s grounds in Dublin on 27 May 1901. On 5 August 1901 he jumped 24ft 11¾ins (7.61m) in Dublin. This was the first IAAF
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
recognised long jump world record. It caused a sensation at the time, being only a fraction short of the 25ft barrier, and remained unbeaten for 20 years, a longevity surpassed only by Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete who specialized in the sprints and the long jump. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the...
's 25-year record and Bob Beamon
Bob Beamon
Robert "Bob" Beamon is an American former track and field athlete, best known for his world record in the long jump at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, which remained the world record for almost 23 years until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as...
's 23-year record. It remained an Irish record for a remarkable 89 years.
1906 Olympic Games
John Daly (athlete)
John Daly was an Irish athlete who won a silver medal in the 1904 Summer Olympics...
, were entered for the Intercalated Games
Intercalated Games
The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what we now call Games of the Olympiad. This proposed series of games, intercalated in the Olympic Games cycle, was to always be held in Athens, and were to have equal status with the international...
in Athens by the IAAA and GAA, representing Ireland. They were given green blazers and cap with a gold shamrock, and an Irish flag (the ‘Erin Go Bragh
Erin Go Bragh
Erin go Bragh , sometimes Erin go Braugh, is the anglicisation of a Gaelic phrase, and is used to express allegiance to Ireland. It is most often translated as "Ireland Forever."-Origin:...
’ flag). However, the rules of the games were changed so that only athletes nominated by National Olympic Committees were eligible. Ireland did not have an Olympic Committee, and the British Olympic Council claimed the three. On registering for the Games, O'Connor and his fellow-athletes found that they were listed as Great Britain, not Irish, team members.
In the long jump competition, O'Connor finally met Myer Prinstein
Myer Prinstein
Myer Prinstein was an American athlete and member of the Irish American Athletic Club...
of the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
who was competing for the U.S. team and whose world record O'Connor had broken five years previously. The only judge for the competition was Matthew Halpin, who was manager of the American team. O'Connor protested, fearing bias, but was overruled. He continued to protest Halpin's decisions through the remainder of the competition. The distances were not announced until the end of the competition. When they were, Prinstein was declared the winner, with O'Connor in Silver Medal position.
At the flag-raising ceremony, in protest at the flying of the Union Flag
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
for his second place, O'Connor scaled a flagpole in the middle of the field and waved the Irish flag, while the pole was guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters.
In the hop, step and jump competition two days later, O'Connor beat his fellow-countryman, Con Leahy, to win the Gold Medal. At 34 he was the oldest ever Gold Medal winner in this event. Prinstein, the champion in 1900
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics, today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris, France. No opening or closing ceremonies were held; competitions began on May 14 and ended on October 28. The Games were held as part of...
and 1904
1904 Summer Olympics
The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States from 1 July 1904, to November 23, 1904, at what is now known as Francis Field on the campus of Washington University...
, did not feature in the medals.
Later career
O'Connor won no more titles after 1906. He remained involved in athletics all his life. He was a founder member and first Vice-President of Waterford Athletic Club, and attended later Olympics both as judge and spectator. He practised as a solicitor in WaterfordWaterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, and was married with nine children. He died in Waterford on 9 November 1957.