Ron Delany
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Ronald Michael Delany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Ronnie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Irish | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
6 March 1935 Arklow, Ireland |
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| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Middle distance running | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Jumbo Elliott | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1962 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regional finals |
1954 European Athletics Championships, 1958 European Athletics Championships |
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| Olympic finals |
1956 Summer Olympics, 1960 Summer Olympics |
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Medal record
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| Updated on 29 July 2012. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ronald Michael Delany (born 6 March 1935), better known as Ron or Ronnie Delany, is an Irish former athlete, who specialised in middle distance running. He earned a gold medal by finishing in first place in the 1500 metres event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He later earned a bronze medal in the 1500 metres event at the 1958 European Athletics Championships in .
Delany also competed at the 1954 European Athletics Championships in Bern and the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, though was less successful on these occasions. Retiring from competitive athletics in 1962, he has secured his status as Ireland's most recognisable Olympian as well as one of the greatest sportsmen and international ambassadors in his country's history.
Born into a wealthy family in Arklow, County Wicklow, Delany moved with his family to Sandymount, Dublin 4 when he was six. Delany later went to Sandymount High school and then to one of Ireland's leading private boys schools, Catholic University School.
Delany studied commerce and finance at Villanova University in the United States. While there he was coached by the well-known track coach Jumbo Elliott.
Delany's first achievement of note was reaching the final of the 800m at the 1954 European Athletics Championships in Bern.
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.
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