Sally Robbins (born 15 July 1981) is an Australian sportswoman. Originally from
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, Western Australia, she attended the
rowing
Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically ...
program at the
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia. Previously, if elite athletes from Western Australian needed to train or ...
, and later represented Australia at the
women's four at the
2000 Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
and the
women's eight
An eight is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing (crew). It is designed for eight rowers, who propel the boat with sweep oars, and is steered by a coxswain, or "cox".
Each of the eight rowers has one oar. The rowers, who sit ...
at the
2004 Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics she stopped rowing due to exhaustion during the final part of the race, for which she was heavily criticised. After the conclusion of her rowing career, Robbins attempted to become a professional
cyclist
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
.
Biography
Robbins was born in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
, Western Australia, and attended
Melville Senior High School. She began rowing at the age of 13, and attended the
Western Australian Institute of Sport
The Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) is an elite sports institute set up in 1983 by the Government of Western Australia to support athletes in Western Australia. Previously, if elite athletes from Western Australian needed to train or ...
.
Robbins was involved in an infamous incident in the 2004 Olympics final held on 22 August. The team was third through the first 1000 metres but had dropped to fifth position with 500 metres remaining, three seconds behind the Romanian crew in first position. During the final 400 metres Robbins, who was physically exhausted, dropped her oar, allowing it to drag in the water, gave up and lay back on teammate
Julia Wilson
Julia Wilson (born 23 September 1978 in Sydney) is an Australian former rower, a two-time World Champion and a dual Olympian.
Club and state rowing
Wilson's senior rowing was from the UTS Haberfield Rowing Club in Sydney.)
Wilson rowed in sta ...
's lap. Australia, consequently, finished last, ten seconds behind the fifth place crew.
Robbins was accused of mental weakness and publicly ridiculed in the Australian media as "Lay-down Sally". ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'' reported:
"In a team sport such as rowing what she did was unforgivable. It appears Robbins committed the greatest crime there is in honest sport: she quit."
Even then
Australian Prime Minister
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the principl ...
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the ...
became involved in the row, saying:
"I'm not taking sides but it's always regrettable, it's tough and there's a lot of pressure. It's always a good idea to bind together but look, I wasn't there and I can understand the passion the emotion and the effort that goes into these things and the sense of disappointment people feel."
This was not the first time Robbins had been involved in such an incident. In the women's quad scull at the 2002
World Rowing Championships
The World Rowing Championships is an international rowing regatta organized by FISA (the International Rowing Federation). It is a week-long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer and in non-Olympic years is the highlight of th ...
in
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, Robbins had also dropped her oar, costing Australia certain victory.
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
silver medallist
Rachael Taylor
Rachael May Taylor (born 11 July 1984) is an Australian actress and model. Her first lead role was in the Australian series ''headLand'' (2005–2006). She then made the transition to Hollywood, appearing in films including ''Man-Thing'' (2005 ...
was quoted as saying:
"Australia was blitzing the race, leading the entire field all the way. It was as about as sure a thing as you could get to having the world title in the bag, when with approximately 400 metres to go Sally Robbins stopped rowing. The Australian crew dropped back and finished in fourth position. Sally's three teammates were understandably shocked, devastated and inconsolable: not at all dissimilar to the sickening re-enactment I witnessed on Sunday."
In March 2006, Robbins conducted televised media interviews and expressed her goal to row for Australia at the
2008 Summer Olympics. However, ultimately, Robbins did not achieve the qualification times and was omitted from the squad.
In April and May 2007, Robbins' motivational problems were discussed in court by former team members Katie Foulkes (coxswain) and Kyeema Doyle when they were called upon by Sydney broadcaster
Alan Jones to give evidence on his behalf in response to a defamation suit brought by
Australian Olympic Committee
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal Au ...
President
John Coates.
On
Rowing Australia
Rowing Australia (RA) is the governing body for the sport of rowing in Australia.
Established in 1925, it is the only organisation recognised by the Federation Internationale des Societies d’Aviron (FISA), the Australian Sports Commission ( ...
athletes profile page, Robbins personal motto is recorded as "Never surrender the dream".
Rowing Australia Profile: Sally Robbins
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robbins, Sally
1981 births
Australian female rowers
Living people
Olympic rowers for Australia
Olympic Games controversies
People educated at Melville Senior High School
Sportswomen from Western Australia
Rowers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Western Australian Institute of Sport alumni
Rowers from Perth, Western Australia
Rowers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
20th-century Australian women
21st-century Australian women