John Flanagan hammer thrower

John Joseph Flanagan (January 28, 1868 – June 3, 1938) was an Irish-American hammer thrower who won three Olympic gold medals in 1900, 1904, and 1908. Born in County Limerick, Ireland, Flanagan was the first son of Michael Flanagan and Ellen Kinkead. He became the British hammer throw champion in 1896 before emigrating to the United States that year, where he held the world record.

Flanagan joined the New York Athletic Club and the Irish American Athletic Club, part of a group known as the Irish Whales. At the 1900 Olympics, he won gold, defeating Truxtun Hare and Josiah McCracken. In 1904, he set a world record of 168 feet 1 inch but placed second in another event. He joined the NYPD in 1903, training at the Irish American Athletic Club and mastering the three-turn technique.

In 1905, Flanagan won five events in Police Athletic Association games, including a fat men's race. At the 1908 Olympics, he broke his record with a throw of 170 feet 4.5 inches and competed in tug-of-war. He set another world record on July 24, 1909, becoming the oldest person to do so.

After leaving the NYPD in 1910, Flanagan returned to Ireland in 1911, managing his family's farm and continuing to compete, winning Irish championships in 1911 and 1912. He coached Patrick O'Callaghan, who later won two Olympic gold medals. Flanagan died at home in Limerick in 1938, with a statue erected in his honor in 2001.