Ralph Jack Richard Mecredy (12 July 1888 – 1968) was an Irish

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

who competed for Great Britain in two events at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

. He was the son of Irish champion cyclist

Richard J. Mecredy Richard James Patrick Mecredy (1861–1924) was an Irish bicycle racer, journalist and writer. He is credited as being the inventor of Cycle polo, the rules of which he drew up in 1891. Life Mecredy was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway, the ...

. Mecredy was educated at

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

. While he was there, he was known for winning both athletic (track and field) events and cycling events on the same day, which the ''Irish Post and Weekly Telegraph'' claimed, "a feat for which we believe the history of the college races does not afford a parallel." From 1913 to 1915 he spent time studying medicine in the US. He was on board the

RMS Lusitania RMS ''Lusitania'' (named after the Roman province in Western Europe corresponding to modern Portugal) was a British ocean liner that was launched by the Cunard Line in 1906 and that held the Blue Riband appellation for the fastest Atlanti ...

when it sank in 1915, and was lucky to survive.

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* 1888 births 1968 deaths British male cyclists Irish male cyclists Olympic cyclists for Great Britain Cyclists at the 1912 Summer Olympics Cyclists from Dublin (city) Alumni of Trinity College Dublin {{UK-cycling-bio-stub