Tommy Robinson (sprinter)

Thomas Augustus "Tommy" "Tom" "Gus" Robinson, MBE, (18 March 1937 – 25 November 2012) was a track and field athlete from the Bahamas, who competed in the sprint events. Robinson represented his country at four Olympics from 1956-1968. He won gold in the 200 yards and silver in the 100 yards at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He also won silver in the 100 yards in the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. He claimed a gold medal at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games. He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1985. He was inducted into the national hall of fame in 1989. The Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, built in 1981 in is named in his honour.

Tommy Robinson

Robinson in 1960
Personal information
Born	Thomas Augustus Robinson (1937-03-18)18 March 1937 Nassau, Bahamas
Died	25 November 2012(2012-11-25) (aged 75) Nassau, The Bahamas
Alma mater	University of Michigan
Height	180 cm (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
Sport
Country	The Bahamas
Sport	Track and field
Event	Sprinting
Medal record British Empire and Commonwealth Games Representing Bahamas 1958 Cardiff 220 yards 1958 Cardiff 100 yards 1962 Perth 100 yards 1966 Kingston 100 yards Central American and Caribbean Games 1962 Kingston 100 metres

Early life and education

Robinson was the born in Nassau, Bahamas. He was the son of Cyril and Willasy Robinson of Hawkins Hill. He attended St John's College, graduating in 1953.^[1]

He then attended the University of Michigan where he competed for Wolverines. Robinson ran for the University of Michigan track team from 1958 to 1961, winning multiple team and individual Big Ten Conference championships during his tenure.

Career

Robinson represented his country in four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1956, where as an 18-year-old, he competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres but did not advance beyond the first round in either event.

Four years later in Rome at the 1960 Summer Olympics, Robinson reached the semi-finals in both the 100 metres and the 200 metres. He reached the 100 metres final at the 1964 Summer Olympics and finished in eighth place.

At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Robinson was part of the team that reached the semi-finals of the 4×100 m relay. The team set a national record of 39.45 s in the early rounds.^[2] The team were disqualified, however, before reaching the finals.^[3][4]

At the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, he won gold in the 220 yards dash^[5] and silver in the 100-yards dash.^[3][5] He again won silver in the 100 yards in the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.^[3] He also won a gold medal at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games.

Robinson won the silver in the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, where he again finished second to long time rival, the Canadian Harry Jerome.^[5][3][6] Robinson also competed at the Pan American Games in Winnepeg in 1967.^[3]

Honours and awards

In 1981, the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, was named in his honour.^[7] He was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1985 and his country's national sports hall of fame in 1989.^[8][9]

In 1993, Robinson was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours.^[10]

Death

Robinson died on 25 November 2012^[8][11] at the Princess Margaret Hospital after a battle with cancer.^[1] He was 74.^[1]