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Betty Robinson

Track and Field Disciplines

Betty Robinson (born Elizabeth Robinson, later Elizabeth Schwartz, 1911 to 1999) was an American sprinter from Riverdale, Illinois, who won the first Olympic 100 metres for women at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, equalling the world record of 12.2 seconds. Women's athletics had not been on the Olympic programme before, so she was the inaugural champion in the event and remains the youngest winner of Olympic 100 metres gold. She added a silver medal with the American 4 x 100 metres relay team. Her teacher Charles Price first noticed her running for a train. A plane crash in 1931 left her badly injured and unable to race for years, so she missed the 1932 Games, but she returned as part of the United States 4 x 100 metres relay team at the 1936 Olympics.

Facts
Classification
Competition Category
Individual 1
Birth Year
1911 2
Connections

Competed In

Source Betty Robinson (Wikipedia)

Plays

Athletics, Sports
Source Olympedia: Betty Robinson - Olympedia
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Sources
1. Olympedia: Betty Robinson - Olympedia
OlympediaBiography
Quote, Biography
At the Trials she finished second to Elta Cartwright and at the Olympics, which was only the fourth meet at which she had ever competed, she beat the highly favored Canadians to take the 100m title and become America’s first woman track & field champion.
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2. Betty Robinson (Wikipedia)
  • Lead
    Elizabeth R. Schwartz (née Robinson; August 23, 1911
  • Competed In: Olympic Games, Article text
    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.
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