Mack Robinson
Mack Robinson (actually: Matthew MacKenzie Robinson ; born July 18, 1914 in Cairo , Georgia , † March 12, 2000 in Pasadena , California ) was an American sprinter .
After the early death of his father, the mother moved to Pasadena with Matthew and his siblings. When he attended John Muir Technical High School in Pasadena, doctors diagnosed him with a heart defect. Despite this, Robinson developed into an excellent athlete. After setting several junior records, some business people were found to support him. In the US eliminations for the 1936 Olympic Games , Robinson was in the 200-meter run to the middle of the home straight in the lead before Jesse Owens pushed past him. Owens won with a US record of 21.0 seconds ahead of Robinson in 21.3 seconds.
In Berlin Robinson reached the Olympic finals unbeaten with 21.4 seconds in the run-up, 21.2 seconds in the intermediate run and 21.1 seconds in the semi-finals. In the final, Jesse Owens improved the world record to 20.7 seconds, Robinson won the silver medal in 21.1 seconds ahead of the Dutchman Martinus Osendarp .
In 1938 Robinson won the AAU title over 200 meters. With a height of 1.86 m, his competition weight was 77 kg. Robinson graduated from the University of Oregon in 1941 . Robinson's younger brother Jackie Robinson became the first African American to compete in Major League Baseball in 1947.
Top performances
- 100 meters: 10.4 seconds (1936)
- 200 meters: 20.8 seconds (1936)
- Long jump: 7.76 meters (1937)
literature
- Peter Matthews (Ed.): Athletics 2001. Worcester 2001, ISBN 1-899807-11-X
Web links
- Mack Robinson in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Robinson, Mack |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Robinson, Matthew MacKenzie |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American sprinter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 18, 1914 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cairo (Georgia) |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 12, 2000 |
| Place of death | Pasadena, California |