John Clarke (pole vaulter)
Northern Irish athlete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British (Northern Irish) |
| Born | c.1911 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Events | Pole vault, javelin, decathlon |
| Club | Royal Ulster Constabulary |
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]