Competing in the 1912 shot put, Patrick McDonald, an enormous (1.96m, 136 kilograms) New York City policeman, surprised defending champion Ralph Rose in the fourth round of six by achieving the best put of his career.
The next day he added a silver medal in the disappeared shot put-both hands event in which each competitor tosses the shot with first the left hand and then the right.
From Antwerp to Times Square
The 1916 edition of the Olympic Games were cancelled because of World War I, but McDonald returned to the Games in 1920. He placed fourth in the shot put, but then he won another gold medal, this time in the 56-pound weight throw. At the time of this victory, McDonald was 42 years and 26 days old, making him the oldest person ever to win a gold medal in athletics. McDonald eventually served 41 years in the New York City Police Department (1905-1946) and was one of the city's best known and most visible officers because it was his job to direct traffic in Times Square.
