John McLean (athlete)

John McLean (track and field athlete) medal table
John McLean
athletics
United States
Olympic games
silver	1900 Paris	110 m hurdles

John McLean ( John Frederick McLean ; born January 10, 1878 in Menominee Michigan , † June 4, 1955 ) was an American athlete and medalist at the Olympic Games.

McLean holds a degree in business law from the University of Michigan . His athletic talent was in the hurdles . Although he could never achieve a national title, but in June 1900 he drew attention to himself with a victory at the championships of the Western American universities (Western Intercollegiate Championships) in the hurdles over 220  yards . He was therefore recommended for the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris, which were held a few weeks later that year, and to which he was finally sent from his university.

McLean not only took part in the 110-meter hurdles in Paris , but with his combination of jumping power and speed, he also figured out chances in the long jump , triple jump and standing triple jump .

His first competition was the 110-meter hurdles on July 14th. In the run-up to the race he met his toughest competitors, his compatriots Alvin Kraenzlein and Frederick Moloney . In third place, he still had to contest a repechage run in which he finally qualified for the final with five runners. McLean immediately took the lead due to a mistake by the starter, but was overtaken by the towering Kraenzlein, but was able to defend his second place against Moloney.

On the same day, McLean competed in the preliminary fight in the long jump and reached sixth place with 6.655 m and thus just missed the final, for which only the top five qualified. Two days later he also took part in the triple jump and standing triple jump, but he was not one of the best six or best four, for which a distance was measured and a placement was determined.

The placements at the Olympic Games for John Frederick McLean:

• II. Summer Olympics 1900, Paris
  • 110 m hurdles - silver with 15.5 s (gold to Alvin Kraenzlein from the USA with 15.4 s; bronze to Frederick Moloney from the USA with 15.6 s)
  • Long jump - sixth with 6.655 m (gold to Alvin Kraenzlein from the USA with 7.185 m)
  • Triple jump - participated, place and performance unknown (gold to Meyer Prinstein from the USA with 14.47 m)
  • Stand triple jump - participated, place and performance unknown (gold to Ray Ewry from the USA with 10.58 m)

Note: With the exception of the time of the winner, the running times are estimated as there was no time measurement for those placed. With them, the gap to the winner or the first place was determined with a length specification.

After the games in Paris, he soon ended his sporting career and accepted a teaching position at Knox College in Galesburg (Illinois). In the mid-1930s he worked as an investment banker .

Web links

• John McLean in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )