Patrick Roche (athlete) explained

James Patrick Roche
Birth Date:	1886
Birth Place:	Caherciveen, County Kerry, Ireland
Death Date:	7 June 1917
Death Place:	France
Nationality:	Irish
Sport:	Athletics
Event:	Sprinting (100 meters, 200 meters)

James Patrick Roche (1886  - 7 June 1917) was an Irish athlete who competed at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London for the United Kingdom.^[1] In the 100 metres, Roche won his first round heat with a time of 11.4 seconds to advance to the semifinals. He finished third in his semifinal race, not advancing to the final. With a time of 22.8 seconds, Roche won his preliminary heat of the 200 metres. In that event, he had slightly better success in the semifinals but still lost to countryman George Hawkins. Hawkins edged out Roche for the win (and the right to advance to the final); both were timed at 22.6 seconds.^[2]

Roche was born in Caherciveen,^[3] son of Stephen and Elsie Roche. He was later brought up at Cahirciveen, County Kerry.

He was killed in action in France during World War I.^[4] He had been awarded the Military Cross, and at the time of his death was serving as a Captain in the 47th Trench Mortar Battery of the Royal Field Artillery. He was buried at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery.

See also

• List of Olympians killed in World War I

Further reading

• Book: Cook, Theodore Andrea . 1908 . The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report . British Olympic Association . London.

External links

• Web site: De Wael . Herman . 2001 . Athletics 1908 . Herman's Full Olympians . 20 July 2006.
• Web site: Wudarski . Pawel . 1999 . Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich . 20 July 2006 . pl . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090216130930/http://olympic.w.interia.pl/ . 16 February 2009 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Patrick Roche . https://web.archive.org/web/20170702040122/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ro/patrick-roche-1.html . dead . 2 July 2017 . 3 August 2015 . Sports Reference.
2. Web site: Patrick Roche . Olympedia . 5 March 2021.
3. Web site: Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War . https://web.archive.org/web/20200417055433/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/friv/lists.cgi?id=65 . dead . 17 April 2020 . 3 August 2015 . Sports Reference.
4. Web site: Olympians Who Were Killed or Missing in Action or Died as a Result of War . https://web.archive.org/web/20200417055433/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/friv/lists.cgi?id=65 . dead . 17 April 2020 . 3 August 2015 . Sports Reference.