William Robbins (athlete)
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
.
He was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Robbins advanced to the finals in the 400 metres race
Athletics at the 1908 Summer Olympics - Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres was an Olympic event for the fourth time at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. The competition was held originally scheduled from July 21, 1908 to July 23, 1908. The rerun of the final was held on July 25, 1908...
at the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
, winning his preliminary heat with a time of 50.4 seconds and his semifinal in 49.0 seconds. In the first running of the final race, Robbins finished in front. However, teammate John Carpenter was disqualified after being accused of obstructing British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
runner Wyndham Halswelle
Wyndham Halswelle
Wyndham Halswelle was a British athlete, winner of the controversial 400m race at the 1908 Summer Olympics, becoming the only athlete to win an Olympic title by a walkover....
and the race was ordered to be repeated without Carpenter. Robbins and fellow American John Taylor
John Taylor (athlete)
John Baxter Taylor Jr. was an American track and field athlete, notable as the first African American to win an Olympic gold medal...
refused to compete in the second final in protest of Carpenter's disqualification. Halswelle ran the race alone, and was presented with the Gold medal. This race is the only case of a walkover
Walkover
In British English, a walkover or W.O. is the awarding of a victory to a contestant because there are no other contestants, or because the other contestants have been disqualified or have forfeited. The term can apply in sport, but can also apply to elections...
in Olympic history.
According to Robbins' 1910 trading card, he was "one of the best quarter-milers in the United States. He was... (a) Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
student, and first came to prominence by the part he played in the 400-meter race held at London in 1908. 'Yank,' as he (was) called by his team mates, ran the first 300 yards at such a clip that it 'pulled the great Halswell's cork,' the later finishing in third place. Robbins won the Metropolitan Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
quarter-mile championship in September, 1909, and two weeks later captured the Canadian quarter-mile title, running the distance in the great time of 48 4/5 seconds."
1 Mile Relay World's Record
At the Amateur Athletic UnionAmateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
metropolitan championships held at Travers Island in 1909, Robbins was part of the Irish American Athletic Club
Irish American Athletic Club
The Irish American Athletic Club was an amateur athletic organization, based in Queens, New York at the beginning of the 20th Century.-Early years:...
's four-man relay team that broke the world's record for the one mile relay, with a time of 3 minutes 20 2/5 seconds. The other three men on the record breaking team were; C.S. Cassara, James Rosenberger
James Rosenberger
James Maher Rosenberger was an American track and field athlete and a member of the Irish American Athletic Club. He was born in New York City and died in Brooklyn, New York....
and Melvin Sheppard.