A Tipperary man was the first Irish athlete to go on a scholarship to Villanova University.
Jimmy Reardon competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and came fifth in his 400 metres heat but did not make the final. At that time, he had already broken all Irish records for 440 yards.
The pin-up boy of Irish athletics.
It was during the 1948 Olympics that Jimmy Reardon met US runners George Guida and Browning Ross, both Villanova athletes. They suggested that he put himself forward for a scholarship to Villanova under coach James "Jumbo" Elliot. Jimmy Reardon packed his bags and took the boat to America.
Irish runner Noel Carroll, who is seated in the audience, believes that Jimmy Reardon was forty years ahead of his time when it comes to the standards he was setting for Irish athletics. His times would still find him a place on the current Irish team. Frank Greely editor of The Irish Runner magazine says Jimmy Reardon could make a great contribution to Irish athletics by coaching young athletes.
In 1952, Jimmy qualified for the Olympics in Helsinki. However, he never made it to the competition as a result of a lack of funding available from the Irish Olympic Council.
This episode of 'Off Mike' was broadcast on 11 August 1989. The presenter is Mike Murphy.
'Off Mike' was a six-part series that ran in the summer of 1989. The first episode was broadcast on 7 July 1989.
