“Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam, the torchbearer of all torchbearers.” That’s what Padraig Belton wrote on X on July 23. It’s Irish for “May she rest in peace.” A simple line, but one that carried so much weight. Because on that day, we lost a true Irish sporting legend. Maeve Kyle — the trailblazer, the record-breaker, the one who paved the way for generations of Irish athletes — passed away at 96. And in that post, BBC sports journalist Padraig Belton didn’t just pay tribute to her legacy on the track. He reminded everyone of something special: her unforgettable meeting with Muhammad Ali. Yes, that Muhammad Ali. It sounds almost like a scene from a movie — the quiet strength of Ireland meeting the thunder of American charisma. Two icons from different worlds, different battles, crossing paths. One a champion in the ring, the other a pioneer on the track. Both breaking barriers. Both inspiring millions. But what is the backstory?
Maeve Kyle’s journey was anything but easy. Coming from a humble background in Ireland, she made history in 1956 as the country’s first female Olympian — but it wasn’t exactly a hero’s welcome. That same year, someone even wrote a letter to the Irish Times calling her a “disgraceful hussy” for daring to leave her husband and young child to go compete at the Olympics. Yeah… seriously. But there was nothing disgraceful about Maeve. She saw herself as a kind of suffragette for sport — fighting for her place, and for the next generation’s too. She wasn’t just showing up to run — she was breaking down walls. And she didn’t stop there. Maeve went on to compete in three Olympics. In Rome (1960) and Tokyo (1964), she made it all the way to the semi-finals in both the 400m and 800m. Those were huge stages, and for Maeve, it wasn’t just about the races — it was about being part of something bigger. Meeting legends from around the world. Connecting with people who, like her, were changing the game. And one of those moments? Meeting Muhammad Ali.
Back in 2013, the Irish Independent ran a feature that really stood out — a look back at Maeve Kyle’s incredible journey. And in that piece, she shared one of her most unforgettable memories: meeting Muhammad Ali. It was the 1960 Rome Olympics. Maeve was there doing her thing on the track, and a 19-year-old Ali — then still known as Cassius Clay — was just starting to make waves in the boxing world. Somehow, they ended up at the same dinner table, probably in the Olympic Village. And Maeve remembered it like it was yesterday. “I remember in Rome in 1960 sitting down to eat with a young Mohammad Ali,” she said. “He was a lovely guy and only 19 at the time. But you could feel he had greatness ahead of him. And it is moments like that in your career that always stay with you.” The track and field legend wasn’t wrong in spotting the greatness in teenage Ali.
Muhammad Ali (USA) stellt anläßlich der Frankfurter Buchmesse auf einer Pressekonferenz seine Autobiographie The Greatest – My own story – vor
Muhammad Ali USA , during the Frankfurt Book Fair on a Press conference his Autobiography The Greatest My own Story before
At the 1960 Olympics, a 19-year-old Muhammad Ali (still Cassius Clay back then) won his only Olympic gold in the light-heavyweight division. That was the one and only time he stepped onto the Olympic stage, but what followed was pure legend. With his lightning-fast fists and unmatched charisma, he went on to dominate the boxing world and earned the nickname “The Greatest.” But being “The Greatest” wasn’t just about throwing punches in the ring and collecting belts. Ali fought just as hard outside the ring — for his beliefs, for justice, for something bigger than sport. And in that way, he and Maeve Kyle weren’t so different.
Maeve showed up in her own battles — pushing through outdated norms, being told she didn’t belong, and still lacing up her spikes and running anyway. Just like Ali, she carved her own path. And more importantly, she never stopped showing up. Neither of them did. That’s what made them legends. Additionally, Maeve Kyle wasn’t just a star on the track — she was pretty much a superstar in everything she touched. Sure, we’ve talked about her Olympic feats in athletics, but that was just one part of her incredible sporting story. Tennis? She played it. Swimming? She nailed it. Sailing and cricket? Yep, those too. But hockey? That’s where she really shined.
Maeve was a total force in Irish hockey, racking up 46 international caps and proudly repping Ireland for years. She was so good, she was picked for the World All-Star team not once, but twice — in 1953 and 1959. And just to show how versatile she was, she played for three different provinces during her career: Leinster, Munster, and Ulster. That’s not just talent — that’s just next-level stuff. In 2006, her hockey journey came full circle when she was inducted into the Hockey Ireland Hall of Fame. A well-earned honor for a woman who truly did it all. Now, of course, all of this feels like part of a cherished memory. But there are still so many people who feel lucky just to have crossed paths with her — one of them being World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, who’s openly spoken about how special that was.
The cherished memory of meeting with track and field royalty
Twenty years after the 1960 Rome Olympics — where a young Maeve Kyle once sat across from Muhammad Ali — a rising star named Sebastian Coe was stepping onto the podium at the 1980 Moscow Games, having just won gold in the men’s 1500m.
By then, Maeve wasn’t competing anymore — her racing spikes were hung up. But that didn’t mean she’d stepped away from the sport. Far from it. She was stepping into new roles: as a mentor, a coach, and a steady presence behind the scenes. And just a year later, in 1981, their paths crossed in Florence — a meeting Coe would never forget. On July 23, 2025, the now–World Athletics President paid tribute to Maeve Kyle in a heartfelt X-post. He shared the story of that night in Florence when he needed help during a big race.
“I handed her my Casio watch,” Coe wrote, “and asked her if she could call my lap time out to me as the Italians were in fine voice that night and I knew I wouldn’t be able to properly hear or understand the Italian race caller.” But mid-race, Coe heard… nothing. No time, no shout, no signal. Just the sound of his own breathing and the pounding of his feet. After the race — confused — he asked Maeve what happened.
Credit: X/ Team Ireland
Kyle’s answer? Pure gold. “I was staring at your watch and couldn’t believe how fast you had gone through,” Maeve told him. “I thought something had happened to the watch and didn’t want to call a wrong time and mess up your race. So I thought I would say nothing and, if the watch was right, you would just keep going at that pace.” And that’s exactly what happened. Coe ran under 1:42 for the first time and set a new 800m world record — a mark that stood strong for 16 years. In the end, Coe wrote, “Thank you for a flood of great memories my friend.” From breaking barriers in the ‘50s to helping break records in the ‘80s — Maeve’s impact was timeless.
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