Noel Stanley Clough (25 April 1937 – 20 May 2023) was an Australian track and field athlete who competed in the 400 metres, 800 metres, and 400 metres hurdles.
Hailing from Victoria, Australia, he enjoyed success at national level in the mid-1960s, taking runner-up spots three times in the 800 m at the Australian Athletics Championships. He also had top three finishes in the 400 m and the 400 m hurdles.
Clough competed at one major international competition in his career, running in the 880-yard run, and individual and relay 440-yard events. He was a finalist in the 440 yd, taking eighth place, and helped the Australian 4 × 440 yard relay team to fifth.Noel Clough . The Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 2016-03-08. His career peak came in the 880 yd final, in which he broke the games record to take the gold medal in a time of 1:46.9 minutes, beating Kenya's Wilson Kiprugut (an Olympic medallist) and the home favourite George Kerr who was a former Commonwealth champion. The time was a full second faster than Clough had ever managed before. This was the last time that the event was staged, thus Clough's winning time remains the games record for the now-defunct distance.Commonwealth Games (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2016-03-08. His run ranked him joint fifth on the global rankings that year, alongside compatriot Ralph Doubell.Noel Clough. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved 2016-03-08.Main > Men, 800 m > 1965-1968. Track and Field Brinkster. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
Clough continued to compete in his later years as a masters athlete. He won a 400 m/400 m hurdles double in the men's over-40 category at the 1977 World Masters Athletics Championships.World Masters (Veterans) Athletics Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2016-03-08. His winning times of 49.5 seconds and 54.3 seconds were world records for the over-40s 400 m and 400 m hurdles respectively.All Time World Rankings - Long Hurdles. Masters Athletics. Retrieved 2016-03-08.All Time World Rankings - 400 metres Dash. Masters Athletics. Retrieved 2016-03-08.
Noel Clough died on 20 May 2023, at the age of 86.
International competitions 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games Kingston, Jamaica 8th 440 yd 47.53 1st 880 yd 1:46.9 5th 4 × 440 yd relay 3:12.2
See also List of middle-distance runners
References