John Clarke (pole vaulter)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Northern Irish) |
| Born | c.1911 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event(s) | Pole vault, javelin, decathlon |
| Club | Royal Ulster Constabulary |
John James Stuart Clarke (c.1911 – date of death unknown)[1] was a Northern Irish athlete who competed in the 1938 British Empire Games.[2]
Biography
Clarke was an all-round athlete competing in the pole vault, javelin and decathlon as a member of the athletic club of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and finished second in the 1936 Ulster pole vault championship.[3] The following year he won the pole vault title at the same championships.[4]
Clarke was one of only four athletes to represent Northern Ireland at the 1938 British Empire Games, partly due to a time of political change that saw the Irish Free State recently becoming Ireland.[5] He took part in the athletics programme and specifically in the pole vault competition and the javelin throw event.[6] At the times of the Games he was a constable with the Royal Ulster Constabulary and lived at 32 Ophir Gardens, Belfast.[1]
After returning from the Games, Clarke participated in decathlon contests[7] and retained his Ulster Pole vault title.[8]
During World War II, Clarke was twice a champion of Ireland, in the javelin in 1943 and 1944 at the Irish Athletics Championships.[9]
References
- ^ a b "UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, Greenock to Quebec & Montreal - 4 July 1936". Ancestry. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "Athletics Pole Vault - Men Sydney 1938". Commonwealth Games Federation. Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "Ulster Championships". Belfast News-Letter. 8 August 1936. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "The New Champions". Northern Whig. 21 June 1937. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "State formation, diplomacy and sport: the British Empire Games, Ireland and Northern Ireland, 1930–38". Cambridge University. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "British Empire Games 1938" (PDF). Association of Track and Field Statisticians. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "Athletic notes". Ireland's Saturday Night. 3 September 1938. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "A Fine Javelin Throw". Belfast News-Letter. 26 June 1939. Retrieved 31 August 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Roll of Honour Irish Athletics Champions" (PDF). Athletics Ireland. Retrieved 31 August 2025.