13 Facts About Bob Tisdall

Robert Morton Newburgh Tisdall was an Irish athlete who won a gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Bob Tisdall had run only six 400 m hurdles when he won the gold medal at the 1932 Olympic Games in a world record time of 51.7 seconds, which was not recognised under the rules of the time because he had hit a hurdle.

Cawston justified his selection by winning the event that Bob Tisdall had won the previous two years.

Bob Tisdall set South African and Canadian records in the 220 yards low hurdles in 1929, a year later setting Greek records in the same event.

Bob Tisdall's father won the All-Irish Sprint Championship; his mother played hockey for Ireland and was a formidable golfer.

Bob Tisdall had, in the midst of The Depression, what he describes as "the best job in the world", as an aide to a young Indian Maharaja, escorting him around Europe, showing him the cultural and natural sights.

O'Duffy was convinced that Bob Tisdall could achieve a good time and later invited Bob Tisdall to compete in a special Olympic trial at Croke Park in Dublin.

Bob Tisdall failed to make the qualifying time, but O'Duffy gave him another chance and Bob Tisdall qualified for the Irish Team by winning the National 440 yards hurdles title at the Irish Championships, at Croke Park.

At the team training camp, Bob Tisdall discovered that there were no hurdles, so he collected driftwood from the beach and set up some crude hurdles on the greyhound racing track.

In 2002, three statues honouring Olympic champions with links to Nenagh, Matt McGrath, Johnny Hayes and Bob Tisdall, were unveiled in front of the Nenagh Courthouse.

Later in life, Bob Tisdall lived in South Africa, where he ran a gymnasium during the day, which he converted into a night club after dark.

Bob Tisdall grew coffee in Tanzania, but moved to Nambour in 1969 with his wife Peggy, where he farmed fruit crops and cattle.

Bob Tisdall admitted to running his last race at the age of 80, though he ran in the Sydney Olympic torch relay at age 93.