Peter O'Connor (athlete)
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing the  United Kingdom
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| Intercalated Games | ||
 |
Athens 1906 | Hop, Step & Jump |
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Athens 1906 | Long Jump |
Peter O'Connor (24 October 1872 - 9 November 1957) was an Irish track and field athlete who set a long-standing world record for the long jump and won two Olympic medals in the 1906 Intercalated Games.
Born in Millom, 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.
As of June 1900, the world record for the long jump was held by Myer Prinstein 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.
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