Delany, Ronnie (1935– )

Irish athlete born in Arlow, County Wicklow, who was 1,500-metre champion at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. He won the race with a trademark sprint finish, covering the final 300 metres in a remarkable 38.8 seconds to set a new Olympic record of 3:41.2. Earlier in 1956 he had become the first Irishman to run under 4 minutes for the mile. He excelled at indoor meetings, winning 40 consecutive races in the USA between 1956 and 1959, and on three occasions breaking the world indoor mile record.