Who is the oldest Olympic gold medallist in history?
"The compilation of our new book, Guinness World Records 365: Sport, required me to delve deep into the Guinness World Records archives."
That's what Tom Beckerlegge — Guinness World Records sports editor — says when looking back on 365: Sport, hunting down the most amazing, jaw-dropping and quintessentially GWR records around the annual sporting calendar.
"As I dug out and dusted off some of our more obscure titles, I uncovered a treasure trove of sporting stories that have remained largely untold," he continues.
Sports expert and author of the newest series by Guinness World Records, 365, Tom takes the reader on a tour of sports history itself with 366 memorable record titles.
Among sports superstars and inspiring female champions, there was one particular figure who managed to capture Tom's attention.
"One of my favourites was the tale of Patrick 'Babe' McDonald," he says.
"New York City policeman, 'Irish Whale' and the oldest Olympic athletics gold medallist."
Statue of Liberty
A New York City traffic cop who included Times Square on his beat, Patrick "Pat" Joseph McDonald (USA, born in Ireland on 29 July 1878) was an imposing figure who stood 6 ft 5 in (1.95 m) tall and weighed 300 lb (136 kg).
One news reporter described him as a “living statue of Liberty”.
Pat was one of a group of US Olympic throwers in the early 20th century christened the “Irish Whales” by contemporary sportswriters.
They earned the nickname on account of their Irish heritage, great size, enormous appetites and prodigious athletic feats.
Other “Whales” included the discus thrower Martin Sheridan and hammer thrower John Flanagan, both of whom won three Olympic gold medals.
Pat won his first Olympic title at the 1912 Games in Stockholm, Sweden, overcoming his rival Ralph Rose in the shot put.
The outbreak of World War I saw the Olympics take an eight-year hiatus, until the 1920 Antwerp Games offered McDonald a chance to add to his medal collection.
However, getting there would prove the greatest challenge of all.
Mutiny of the Matoika
Four years of war had left the European continent scarred, no more so than Olympic hosts Belgium.
The US Olympic organizers struggled to find a ship to transport their athletes across the Atlantic Ocean.
An army transport ship called the Princess Matoika was drafted in as a last-minute substitute.
However, the ship returned from Europe carrying a grisly cargo: the Olympians arrived to find 1,800 coffins being unloaded from the ship onto the dock.
Conditions aboard the Princess Matoika were horrendous.
The vessel reeked of formaldehyde and was infested with rats.
Athletes trying to train had to contend with heavy rain and rolling decks, and Pat even injured his thumb while throwing a medicine ball.
On the twelfth day of sailing across the Atlantic, the US team threatened to go on strike in protest at their conditions in what became known as the “Mutiny on the Matoika”.
“It was horrible,” commented one member of the American Olympic team upon their return. “You can’t believe what we’ve been through.”
The Games begin
Although the US Olympic team reached Europe under a cloud of discontent, the Antwerp Games proved to be an amazing experience for McDonald, who began by carrying the American flag at the opening ceremony.
The US athlete finished fourth in the shot put, but roared back to win the 56lb Weight Throw category on the 21st of August, at the age of 42 years and 23 days – becoming, to this day, the oldest Olympic athletics gold medallist in history.
It was the last time the event was ever held at the Games, leaving McDonald’s winning effort of 11.265 m (equivalent to 36 ft 11 in) as the Olympic record to this day.
For all the hardships involved in reaching the Games, this “Irish Whale” had left his mark on Olympic history.
When MacDonald finally retired as a policeman in 1946, the New York Herald Tribune described him as “a living legend”.
Discover 365: Sport
365: Sport is the first of an exciting, brand-new series of guides from Guinness World Records.
The pocket-sized collection kicks off with sports: featuring one record for every day of the year, including one for Leap Day, this tiny but mighty guide is jam-packed with the most outstanding sports achievements of the last 150 years.
Every page is crammed with curiosities, sporting curiosities, reference tables and quotes from record holders who made the history of athletics.
From Olympic champions to NBA superstars, all the way to the Formula One triumphs, don't miss the ultimate companion for all sports enthusiasts.
Find your special signed copy in the GWR store, or easily locate the retailer closest to you.
Whatever sport you love, you'll find something for you.