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In 1956 Ronnie Delany won the gold medal in the 1500m Olympic final in Melbourne, setting a new Olympic record in the process. In the depressed Ireland of the fifties, Delany's win, an outsider storming ahead to beat the favorites, caught the imagination of a nation, making him an icon. Now, Delany tells the story of his childhood, his early triumphs on the Irish athletics circuit and his realization that he had it in him to become a great runner. In 1954 Delany won an athletics scholarship to Villanova University where he trained under legendary coach Jumbo Elliot. Delany's speed was increasing all the time; in 1954, he reached the final of the 800m at the European Championships, and in 1956 became only the seventh runner to join the exclusive club of four-minute milers. Then came his phenomenal win in Melbourne, and a new Irish hero was born. Though most famous in Ireland for his Olympic win, Delany pursued his running career in the US, where from March 1955 through March of 1959 he ran thirty-four major indoor mile races against all kinds of opponents and won them all. He broke the indoor world record for the mile three times. Fifty years on from the Melbourne Olympics, Ronnie Delany tells the story of his life and career in his own warm and engaging style. Lavishly illustrated with photographs spanning his athletic career, this is the story of one of Ireland's greatest and best-loved sportsmen.
