Joe McCluskey
Encyclopedia
Joe McCluskey was an American
track and field athlete. During his running career, he won 27 national titles in various distance events and captured the steeplechase
title a record nine times in a 13-year period.
At the 1932 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, California
, McCluskey won the bronze medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event that could have been a silver. A substitute lap counter failed to hold up the number of the laps remaining the first time the runners went past, and the athletes wound up running an extra lap. McCluskey was second at what should have been the end of the regular race but dropped back to third during the extra lap. When offered the opportunity to rerun the race the next day, McCluskey said, "A race has only one finish line" and chose to let the results stand making it the only 3,460-meter steeplechase event ever held in Olympic history.
McCluskey, born in South Manchester, Connecticut
, was also a 1936 Olympian and coached the New York Athletic Club for fourteen years. A 1933 graduate of Fordham University
, McCluskey was inducted into the Fordham University Hall of Fame as well as the USATF Hall of Fame in 1996. Served as Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy
during World War II
, then later married having eight children and employed as a stock broker in New York City
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track and field athlete. During his running career, he won 27 national titles in various distance events and captured the steeplechase
Steeplechase (athletics)
The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
title a record nine times in a 13-year period.
At the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, McCluskey won the bronze medal in the 3,000-meter steeplechase event that could have been a silver. A substitute lap counter failed to hold up the number of the laps remaining the first time the runners went past, and the athletes wound up running an extra lap. McCluskey was second at what should have been the end of the regular race but dropped back to third during the extra lap. When offered the opportunity to rerun the race the next day, McCluskey said, "A race has only one finish line" and chose to let the results stand making it the only 3,460-meter steeplechase event ever held in Olympic history.
McCluskey, born in South Manchester, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, was also a 1936 Olympian and coached the New York Athletic Club for fourteen years. A 1933 graduate of Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
, McCluskey was inducted into the Fordham University Hall of Fame as well as the USATF Hall of Fame in 1996. Served as Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, then later married having eight children and employed as a stock broker in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.