From the Archives: Delany wins 1,500 metres in brilliant style

Monday, December 3rd, 1956

For the first time in 24 years, the Irish tricolour was raised at the Olympic Games when Ronnie Delany, the 21-year-old Arklow born student, mounted the victor's rostrum in the Melbourne Stadium on Saturday, after a brilliant victory in the 1,500 metres. Delany's achievement, the best individual performance since Dr Pat O'Callaghan and RMN Tisdall both won at Los Angeles in 1932, was the crowning achievement of an Irish team that covered itself with glory-and almost with medals.

Delany’s victory in the 1,500 metres, against the world’s best runners over the distance, was as convincing as it was unexpected. Although he had ran well in his heat, contenting himself with qualifying, few of the experts expected him to win.

He confounded them all by running probably the best race of his life, to beat Germany's Klaus Richtzenhain and John Landy effortlessly, while establishing new Olympic record figures for the distance.

Delany ran his eleven rivals into the ground, covering the 1,500 metres in 3:41.2. Before a roaring crowd of 110.000 shirt-sleeved fans, in ideal conditions, Delany lay back for the first two laps, as the lead alternated between Mervyn Lincoln, his Australian conquerer in the first round heat, and Richtzenhain.

Lincoln led lo the last lap, with Ian Boyd and Brian Hewson lying close behind, and Delany about fifth. Then, with about 300 metres to go, the Irishman let himself out.

Running on the outside to avoid any possible bumping, Delany passed successively Hewson, Landy, Lincoln and the German, who had taken the lead on the back stretch. On surged the Irishman, to win going away from the German and the Australian, with over five yards to spare.

His time for the 1.500 metres was equivalent to a 3m. 58s. mile and beat the Olympic record of 3:45.2 set up by Josy Barthel, of Luxembourg, at Helsinki in 1952.

Delany came up from behind on the back stretch , and caught the slowing German around the bend to turn into the home stretch at full force and open a six-yard gap virtually at will. Landy came up too late. He kicked off a terrific finish all the way down the home stretch, but had to come from too far behind. He almost caught up with Richtzenhain, but did not stand a ghost of a charnce with Delany.

Extraordinary Verdict

Wiih Delany’s thrilling win behind them, the Irish team gathered en masse at the boxing stadium for Fred Teidt’s bout with the Rumanian welterweight, Linca.

Hopes were high that Ireland would get a second gold medal and finish high in the nation's rankings. It was not to be, however. Teidt, as in the case of Freddy Gilroy was beaten by yet another extraordinary decision. Teidt's superiority was never in doubt, and at the final bell the raising of his arm in victory seemed almost a formality. However, it was the Rumanian's arm which was raised to set off a full minute of catcalls, boos and derisive cheering from the crowd .

Linca received his gold medal in ominous silence, but the crowd raised the roof of the stadium cheering Teidt as he received his silver award.

For Ireland ,it was particularly galling, since in an earlier ight the German, Rahrendt, who had got the decision over Freddy Gilroy when almost everyone in the stadium except the Russian referee agreed he had lost, had won the bantam gold medal.

Teidt opened the fight with a darting left hand, but Linca came on strongly. Both men hugged the ropes, heads down and slugging furiously. Linca threw many clubbing punches to the side of Teidt’s head, and the referee cautioned him once for holding Teidt’s arm. The men sparred as the round closed. Teidt once rushed in with thrashing lefts and rights, but withdrew to the centre of the ring.

Linca Rocked

Teidt brought his left from the floor to rock Linca early in the second round and had him in a corner covering up. He was crashing punches into Linca’s body, and the Rumanian started widely hitting only thin air.

Linca improved his technique in the third round, and rocked the Irishman with a strong left uppercut. But a smashing right cross from the bigger Irish fighter had Linca’s nose bleeding shortly after. The Irishman was boxing the Rumanian, who looked more like a street fighter. Both men were halfway outside the ropes as the round closed, hitting each other unmercifully. After the round closed they both threw a couple of punches, but they were obviously “friendly blows.”

T Hopkins Tied For Second Place

In the High Jump, Belfast's Thelma Hopkins and Russia's Maria Pissareva tied for the silver medal, with America's Mildred McDaniel winning the premier award.

Thelma and Maria jumped 1.67 metres to the winner’s 1.76, which established new world and Olympic records.

Best Collective Performance

From an entry of 12, Ireland collected five medals, including one coveted gold award, our hopes of a second one being dashed with Freddy Teidt’s defeat in the welter-weight boxing final.

Delany won the gold medal; Teidt the silver insignia, and boxers, Tony Byrne, Freddy Gilroy and John Caldnell each gained a bronze medal, in the best collective performance ever put up by an Irish team in the Olympic Games.