Robyn Stevens (born April 24, 1983) is an American Olympic race walker. She competed for Vacaville High School, then went on to San José State University. Stevens suffered from an eating disorder and body dysmorphia while attending, which forced her to quit racing in 2004. She did not compete again until 2014. She competed in the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

in Tokyo in 2021.

Competition

In 2019, Stevens won the U.S. 50 kilometer race walk championship, and repeated her win on January 25, 2020, in Santee, California, with a time of 4:37:31, leading from start to finish and winning by over 9 1/2 minutes.Robyn Stevens excelling in USATF race walking meets
'' Daily Republic'', February 9, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2021. On February 2, she won the Utah indoor 3000 meters race walk. At the Millrose Games indoor mile in New York City on February 8, 2020, after an absence of 19 years, Stevens led for over half the race. She was passed by Ohio high school star Taylor Ewert who won in 6:34:63, and Lauren Harris, second in 6:39.31, with Stevens finishing third in 6:41:30. Stevens won the 2020 USA Olympic Trial 20k race walk event in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...

, finishing in 1:35.13, over four minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. Stevens' boyfriend Nick Christie won the men's 20k at the same meet. Stevens went on to compete in the delayed

in Tokyo in 2021, where she finished in 33rd place out of a field of 58 athletes. At the

2022 World Athletics Championships The 2022 World Athletics Championships was the eighteenth edition of the World Athletics Championships. It was held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, United States, from July 15–24, 2022, with the country hosting that competition for the ...

Stevens finished the 20 km race walking competition in 24th place.

Sexual abuse by former coach

Stevens was raped by her former coach, Andreas “Dre” Gustafsson of Sweden, for over two and a half years starting in February 2017. Concerned that he was victimizing other female athletes, she filed a complaint with the U.S. Center for SafeSport in late 2020. In August 2022, SafeSport provisionally suspended Gustafsson for “sexual misconduct.” USA Track & Field told its members that Gustafsson was prohibited “from participating, in any capacity, in any event, program, activity, or competition authorized by, organized by or under the auspices of the USOPC, the National Governing Bodies recognized by the USOPC, a Local Affiliated Organization ... or at a facility under the jurisdiction of the same.”

References

External links

Robyn Stevens
at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens, Robyn 1983 births Living people American female race walkers San Jose State University alumni Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 2019 Pan American Games Athletes (track and field) at the 2020 Summer Olympics San Jose State Spartans athletes Olympic track and field athletes for the United States 20th-century American women 21st-century American sportswomen Sportspeople from Vacaville, California Sexual assaults in the United States Sexual assault in sports USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners