Thomas Downing (athlete)
{{short description|Irish athlete}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2025}}
{{About|the Irish runner|other people|Thomas Downing (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Tom Downing
| birth_name =
| image =
| caption =
| nationality = Irish
| sport = Athletics
| event = Cross country/steeplechase
| club = Haddington Harriers, Dublin
| birth_date = {{birth date|1883|1|21|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland
| death_date = {{death date and age|1943|10|18|1883|1|21|df=yes}}
| death_place = Dublin, Ireland
| height =
| weight =
}}
Thomas Downing (21 January 1883 – 18 October 1943) was an Irish middle-distance runner who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/do/thomas-downing-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417171200/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/do/thomas-downing-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Thomas Downing Olympic Results |access-date=19 November 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.teamgb.com/athlete/thomas-downing/4LyBDWfqlUGq9OXXKoDQYk |title=Thomas Downing |website=Team GB |access-date=14 April 2025}}
Biography
Downing was born in Carlow, County Carlow, Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/69016 |title=Tom Downing |work=Olympedia |access-date=14 April 2025}} He competed in the 1906 English National Cross Country Championships at Colwall{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000893/19070216/095/0006 |title=Haddington team for the National |work=Sporting Life |date=16 February 1907 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 April 2025}} and was the 1907 Irish Cross Country champion, also helping his Haddington team to the senior team title.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19070318/152/0014 |title=Cross-Country Contests |work=Daily Mirror |date=18 March 1907 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 April 2025}}
After taking part in the 1908 Irish Cross-Country Championships,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000511/19080316/021/0004 |title=Cross-Country Championships |work=Exeter and Plymouth Gazette|date=16 March 1908 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 April 2025}} Downing represented the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympic Games in London,{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001055/19080612/073/0003 |title=The Olympic Games, British Representatives |work=The Sportsman |date=12 June 1908 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 April 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000648/19080612/187/0008 |title=Olympic Games, Britain's team of athletes |work=Liverpool Daily Post |date=12 June 1908 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=14 April 2025}} where he participated in the men's 3200 metres steeplechase competition. In his heat he was disqualified for incorrectly clearing the first water jump.
From 1904 to 1910, Downing took part in the International Cross-Country Championship five times.
References
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Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1908 Summer Olympics
Category:Irish male middle-distance runners
Category:Irish male steeplechase runners
Category:Olympic athletes for Great Britain
Category:British male middle-distance runners
Category:British male steeplechase runners