Sally Robbins
Encyclopedia
Sally Robbins is an Australia
n rower, who was a member of Australia's 2004 Summer Olympics
Women's Eight.
Sally Robbins was involved in an infamous incident in the 2004 Olympics final held on 22 August. The team was third through the first 1000 metres but had dropped back to fifth with 500 metres remaining, three seconds behind the Romanian crew in first position. During the final 400 metres Robbins dropped her oar, allowing it to drag in the water, gave up and laid back on teammate Julia Wilson
's lap. Australia, consequently, finished last, ten seconds behind the fifth place crew.
Robbins was accused of mental weakness and publicly ridiculed in the Australian media as "Lay-down Sally". The Daily Telegraph
reported:
became involved in the row, saying:
This was not the first time Robbins had been involved in such an incident. In the women's quad scull at the 2002 World Rowing Championships
in Seville
Robbins had also dropped her oar, costing Australia certain victory. 2000 Summer Olympics
silver medallist Rachael Taylor
was quoted as saying :
In March 2006, Robbins conducted televised media interviews expressed her goal to row for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. However, ultimately Robbins did not achieve the qualification times and was omitted from the squad.
In April and May 2007, Robbins' motivational problems were discussed in court by former team members Katie Foulkes (coxswain) and Kyeema Doyle when they were called upon by Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones
to give evidence on his behalf in response to a defamation suit brought by Australian Olympic Committee
President John Coates
.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the women's rowing eight said the "Lay Down Sally" affair was behind them and they were ready to focus on the event; however eventually they were unable to improve the result of Athens, four year earlier
On Rowing Australia
athletes profile page, Robbins personal motto is recorded as "Never surrender the dream".
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rower, who was a member of Australia's 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
Women's Eight.
Sally Robbins was involved in an infamous incident in the 2004 Olympics final held on 22 August. The team was third through the first 1000 metres but had dropped back to fifth with 500 metres remaining, three seconds behind the Romanian crew in first position. During the final 400 metres Robbins dropped her oar, allowing it to drag in the water, gave up and laid back on teammate Julia Wilson
Julia Wilson
Julia Wilson is a rower from Australia, who has won World Rowing Championships gold medals in the Eight and Four for her native country in 2001 and she picked up a silver medal in the Eight at the 2002 World Championship...
's lap. Australia, consequently, finished last, ten seconds behind the fifth place crew.
Robbins was accused of mental weakness and publicly ridiculed in the Australian media as "Lay-down Sally". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
The Daily Telegraph is an Australian tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, by Nationwide News, part of News Corporation.The Tele, as it is also known, was founded in 1879. From 1936 to 1972, it was owned by Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press. That year it was sold to...
reported:
"In a team sport such as rowing what she did was unforgivable. It appears Robbins committed the greatest crime there is in honest sport: she quit."Even then Australian Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
became involved in the row, saying:
"I'm not taking sides but it's always regrettable, it's tough and there's a lot of pressure. It's always a good idea to bind together but look, I wasn't there and I can understand the passion the emotion and the effort that goes into these things and the sense of disappointment people feel."
This was not the first time Robbins had been involved in such an incident. In the women's quad scull at the 2002 World Rowing Championships
World Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA . It is a week long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of the international rowing calendar.The first event was held in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1962...
in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
Robbins had also dropped her oar, costing Australia certain victory. 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
silver medallist Rachael Taylor
Rachael Taylor (rower)
Rachael Taylor is an Australian rower.- References :* at sports-reference.com...
was quoted as saying :
"Australia was blitzing the race, leading the entire field all the way. It was as about as sure a thing as you could get to having the world title in the bag, when with approximately 400 metres to go Sally Robbins stopped rowing. The Australian crew dropped back and finished in fourth position. Sally's three teammates were understandably shocked, devastated and inconsolable: not at all dissimilar to the sickening re-enactment I witnessed on Sunday."
In March 2006, Robbins conducted televised media interviews expressed her goal to row for Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. However, ultimately Robbins did not achieve the qualification times and was omitted from the squad.
In April and May 2007, Robbins' motivational problems were discussed in court by former team members Katie Foulkes (coxswain) and Kyeema Doyle when they were called upon by Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones
Alan Jones (radio broadcaster)
Alan Belford Jones AO is an Australian radio broadcaster, former rugby union and rugby league coach and administrator.Jones hosts Sydney's most popular breakfast radio program, on radio station 2GB...
to give evidence on his behalf in response to a defamation suit brought by Australian Olympic Committee
Australian Olympic Committee
The Australian Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee in Australia for the Olympic Games movement. It is a non-profit organisation that selects teams, and raises funds to send Australian competitors to Olympic events organised by the International Olympic Committee .-Background:The...
President John Coates
John Coates
John Henry Coates, FRS is a mathematician who holds the position of Sadleirian Professor of Pure Mathematics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.-Early life and education:...
.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the women's rowing eight said the "Lay Down Sally" affair was behind them and they were ready to focus on the event; however eventually they were unable to improve the result of Athens, four year earlier
On Rowing Australia
Rowing Australia
Rowing Australia is the governing body for the sport of rowing in Australia.Established in 1925, it is the only organisation recognised by the Federation Internationale des Societies d’Aviron , the Australian Sports Commission , and the Australian Olympic Committee , to conduct rowing activities...
athletes profile page, Robbins personal motto is recorded as "Never surrender the dream".