Ron Delany

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Ronald Michael Delany (born March 6, 1935), better known as Ron or Ronnie is a former Irish athlete, who specialised in middle distance running.

Born in Arklow, Delaney moved with his family to Dublin when he was 6. His father had got a job in Jacobs Biscuit Factory and there Delaney went to Catholic University School.

Delaney studied in the United States at Villanova University, where he was coached by the well-known track coach Jumbo Elliott. His first achievement of note was reaching the final of the 800m at the 1954 European Championships in Berne.

In 1956, he became the seventh runner to join the club of Four minute milers, but nonetheless struggled to make the Irish team for the 1956 Summer Olympics held in Melbourne.

Delaney qualified for the Olympic 1500 m final, in which home runner John Landy was the big favourite. Delaney kept close to Landy until the final lap, when he started a crushing final sprint, winning the race in a new Olympic Record. Delaney thereby became the first Irishman to win an Olympic title in athletics since Bob Tisdall in 1932.

Delaney continued his running career in North America, winning four successive AAU titles in the mile, adding to his total of four Irish national titles, and three NCAA titles. He was next to unbeatable on indoor tracks over that period, which included a 40-race winning streak. He broke the World Indoor Mile Record on three occasions.