Ellery Clark

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games • Non-starter
SexMale
Full nameEllery Harding•Clark
Used nameEllery•Clark
Born13 March 1874 in West Roxbury, Massachusetts (USA)
Died27 July 1949 in near Hingham, Massachusetts (USA)
Measurements180 cm
AffiliationsBoston AA, Boston (USA)
NOC United States
Medals OG
Gold 2
Silver 0
Bronze 0
Total 2

Biography

Ellery Clark holds the distinction of being the only man to win both the Olympic high jump and long jump. Clark, a 22-year-old Harvard grad, claimed this noteworthy double at the first Modern Olympics with marks of 5-11½ (1.81) and 20-11 (6.37). On his return from Greece, Clark developed into a highly versatile athlete, winning the National All-Around Championship in 1897 and 1903. In 1904, the American and Olympic All-Around Championship were one and the same event, but Clark was seriously weakened by bronchitis in St. Louis and in his second Olympic appearance he placed no better than fifth in the event that was the forerunner of the modern decathlon. In his professional life, Ellery Clark showed all-round talents that even exceeded his sporting versatility. He wrote 19 books, ranging from the definitive work on railway accident law to a book on religious philosophy and two of his novels were adapted for films by Hollywood. He was an alderman of the city of Boston, an assistant track coach at Harvard, a teacher of English composition at a Cambridge school, and a prominent lawyer in Boston.

Personal Bests: HJ – 5-11½ (1.81) (1896); LJ – 21-7¾ (6.60) (1897); SP – unknown.

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1896 Summer Olympics Athletics USA Ellery Clark
High Jump, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Long Jump, Men (Olympic) 1 Gold
Shot Put, Men (Olympic) AC
1904 Summer Olympics Athletics USA Ellery Clark
All-Around Championship, Men (Olympic) 5
1906 Intercalated Games Athletics USA Ellery Clark
Marathon, Men (Intercalated) DNS
110 metres Hurdles, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Standing High Jump, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Pole Vault, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Long Jump, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Standing Long Jump, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Triple Jump, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Shot Put, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Discus Throw, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Discus Throw, Greek Style, Men (Intercalated) DNS
Pentathlon (Ancient), Men (Intercalated) DNS