James Patrick Sullivan (June 29, 1885 – April 9, 1965) was an American middle-distance runner and member of the

Irish American Athletic Club The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York, at the beginning of the 20th century. Early years Established on January 30, 1898, originally as the "Greater New York Irish Athletic Association", ...

. He competed in the

1906 Intercalated Games The 1906 Intercalated Games or 1906 Olympic Games was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated in Athens, Greece. They were at the time considered to be Olympic Games and were referred to as the "Second International Olympic Games i ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

and the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He was known as "4:22 Jim" for being the first native-born American to run the mile in the fast time of 4 minutes and 22 seconds at the Metropolitan Championships held at

Travers Island Travers Island is a former island in Long Island Sound, located in the city of New Rochelle, New York. The island, originally united by a causeway to the mainland, comprises a tract of thirty acres in the Lower Harbor of New Rochelle, situated be ...

in 1905. He had been regarded as a promising walker in school, but was advised by a school coach to concentrate on running. In the

he finished fifth in the 1500 m competition. He also participated in the 800 m event, but he was eliminated in the first round. In 1907 Sullivan won the Senior National

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

championship, and in the same year won the Military Athletic League title and the KPMG title at the same distance.1910 Hassan Cigarettes trading card
wingedfist.com In the

, 1500 m competition, Sullivan won his first-round heat with a time of 4:07.6, winning a closely contested heat, defeating defending champion

James Lightbody James Davies Lightbody (March 16, 1882 – March 2, 1953) was an American middle distance runner, winner of six Olympic medals (two of which are no longer recognized by the International Olympic Committee following its downgrading o ...

. In 1909 Sullivan won the three-mile Canadian Championship held at Montreal, and pulled two tendons in his right ankle, which put him out of competition for the indoor season of 1909–1910. Sullivan was using swimming as a non-impact physiotherapy training when he was advised to compete in a triathlon once rehabilitated. He competed in a few triathlons, placing well in the triathy, but had a recurrence of the tendon problem and had to retire from sport altogether. As well as being an athlete Sullivan was known to have an interest in Pool and Billiards, winning The Manly Cup in its inaugural year. He retired from competition in 1912, and in 1913, married Grace Burke. They had two children, Richard and Elise. He worked as a clerk for the Kings County Court, a position he held until 1958.

Notes

References

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James P. Sullivan, Irish-American Olympian
from th

External links

Winged Fist Organization
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sullivan, James P. 1885 births 1965 deaths American male middle-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1906 Intercalated Games Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States