Olympic Track & Field Codexery

Betty Robinson

First Olympic women's 100 m champion; survived plane crash to win again.

Last updated

She survived a severe plane crash in 1931 that doctors said would end her racing career.[1][2] Elizabeth R. Schwartz, who went by Betty Robinson, was the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the 100m, achieving this at the 1928 Games.[3][2]

Key facts and history

She ran her first official race on March 30, 1928, finishing second to US record holder Helen Filkey.[4][5] She spent six months in a wheelchair and two years learning to walk again.[1][2] Robinson's sprinting ability was first noticed by Charles Price, her science instructor, after he observed her dashing to board a train following the school day.[6][2] No athlete younger than Robinson has ever captured the Olympic 100m gold medal.[7][2]

A plane crash on June 28, 1931, left Robinson badly hurt, and the person who found her initially believed she had died.[1][2]

What the cited sources add

That same article reports that Robinson set records in 1929 in the 50-yard dash (5.8 seconds) and 100-yard dash (11.4 seconds) at Soldier Field in Chicago.[5] The Runner's World account describes how the German relay team dropped their baton during the 1936 final, allowing the US to win.[5]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Betty Robinson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rosen, "Betty Robinson: The Olympic Gold Medalist Who 'Came Back From The Dead'", TeamUSA.org, April 28, 2015; Montillo, "Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women", Crown, 2017, p. 3–5, 125–30; "Betty Robinson: the sprint star who 'rose from the dead'", WorldAthletics.org, 2021-08-08; Gergen 2014, p. 12 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. "Betty Robinson: the sprint star who 'rose from the dead'", WorldAthletics.org, 2021-08-08. facts only, no text reused. worldathletics.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Betty Robinson" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Betty Robinson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cowe, "Early Women's Athletics: Statistics and History, Volume Two", Eric L. Cowe, 2005, p. 69; Carroll, "Betty Robinson: the fastest woman in the world who came back from the dead", Runner's World, 2019-03-07; Gergen 2014, p. 12; Carroll, "Betty Robinson: the fastest woman in the world who came back from the dead", Runner's World, 2019-03-07 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Carroll, "Betty Robinson: the fastest woman in the world who came back from the dead", Runner's World, 2019-03-07. facts only, no text reused. runnersworld.com
  6. Wikipedia, "Betty Robinson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Betty Robinson: the sprint star who 'rose from the dead'", WorldAthletics.org, 2021-08-08 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Betty Robinson" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Elizabeth Robinson", Olympics.com; "Betty Robinson: the sprint star who 'rose from the dead'", WorldAthletics.org, 2021-08-08; "Elizabeth Robinson", Olympics.com (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Betty Robinson (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Career statistics and honours

Medals

Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Betty Robinson (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. In what year did Betty Robinson die?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1999.

From the source: “Elizabeth R. Schwartz (née Robinson; August 23, 1911 – May 18, 1999) was an American athlete and winner of the first Olympic 100 metres for women. Early life Robinson was born in Riverdale, Illinois. She was a student at Thornton Township H”

2. In which place was Betty Robinson born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Riverdale, Illinois, US.

3. In what year was Betty Robinson born?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is 1911.

From the source: “Elizabeth R. Schwartz (née Robinson; August 23, 1911 – May 18, 1999) was an American athlete and winner of the first Olympic 100 metres for women. Early life Robinson was born in Riverdale, Illinois. She was a student at Thornton Township H”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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