289:"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."
31:
228:
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
265:"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."
201:. 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
300:
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
194:
154:
477:
492:
250:"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."
430:
236:
Robbins was accused of mental weakness and publicly ridiculed in the
Australian media as "Lay-down Sally", a play on the Eric Clapton song of
497:
502:
487:
482:
379:
186:
150:
405:
416:
390:
512:
507:
467:
222:
182:
472:
309:
457:
269:
This was not the first time
Robbins had been involved in such an incident. In the women's quad scull at the 2002
301:
293:
In March 2006, Robbins conducted televised media interviews and expressed her goal to row for
Australia at the
229:
was physically exhausted, dropped her oar, allowing it to drag in the water, gave up and lay back on teammate
305:
242:
218:
368:
427:
297:. However, ultimately, Robbins did not achieve the qualification times and was omitted from the squad.
270:
335:
255:
346:
462:
282:
406:"Robbins lay down 'at least seven times'", Leonie Lamont, 30 April 2007, Sydney Morning Herald
452:
294:
278:
198:
357:
319:
athletes profile page, Robbins personal motto is recorded as "Never surrender the dream".
8:
233:'s lap. Australia, consequently, finished last, ten seconds behind the fifth-place crew.
417:"Cox recalls Olympics no-row fiasco", Leonie Lamont, 1 May 2007, Sydney Morning Herald
394:
380:"I want to row at Beijing games: Lay Down Sally", 8 March 2006, Sydney Morning Herald
316:
434:
237:
178:
111:
446:
190:
145:
304:
to give evidence on his behalf in response to a defamation suit brought by
230:
258:
202:
115:
277:, Robbins had also dropped her oar, costing Australia certain victory.
173:(born 15 July 1981) is an Australian sportswoman. Originally from
274:
30:
369:
Sydney
Morning Herald: They said they'd throw me off the boat
214:
174:
78:
221:. She began rowing at the age of 13, and attended the
358:
ABC News: Rowers face censure for dumping on
Robbins
444:
478:People educated at Melville Senior High School
347:The Age: Robbins drops oar, team drops bundle
493:Western Australian Institute of Sport alumni
391:'Lay Down Sally' is water under the bridge
29:
185:, and later represented Australia at the
315:Without any apparent sense of irony, on
428:Rowing Australia Profile: Sally Robbins
445:
177:, Western Australia, she attended the
223:Western Australian Institute of Sport
183:Western Australian Institute of Sport
498:Rowers from Perth, Western Australia
261:became involved in the row, saying:
13:
503:Rowers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
488:Rowers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
483:Sportswomen from Western Australia
217:, Western Australia, and attended
16:Australian sportswoman (born 1981)
14:
524:
90:1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
336:World Rowing – Official Website
421:
410:
399:
384:
373:
362:
351:
340:
329:
1:
513:21st-century Australian women
508:20th-century Australian women
322:
468:Olympic rowers for Australia
306:Australian Olympic Committee
208:
164:2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
7:
473:Olympic Games controversies
219:Melville Senior High School
127:Women's four, women's eight
10:
529:
271:World Rowing Championships
256:Australian Prime Minister
160:
144:
139:
131:
121:
107:
102:
94:
86:
61:
53:
45:
40:
28:
458:Australian female rowers
433:30 October 2007 at the
140:Achievements and titles
291:
285:was quoted as saying:
267:
252:
135:Swan River Rowing Club
287:
263:
248:
295:2008 Summer Olympics
279:2000 Summer Olympics
213:Robbins was born in
41:Personal information
243:The Daily Telegraph
98:78 kg (172 lb)
81:, Western Australia
25:
21:
281:silver medallist
168:
167:
520:
437:
425:
419:
414:
408:
403:
397:
388:
382:
377:
371:
366:
360:
355:
349:
344:
338:
333:
317:Rowing Australia
124:
82:
75:
71:
69:
33:
26:
20:
528:
527:
523:
522:
521:
519:
518:
517:
443:
442:
441:
440:
435:Wayback Machine
426:
422:
415:
411:
404:
400:
389:
385:
378:
374:
367:
363:
356:
352:
345:
341:
334:
330:
325:
211:
181:program at the
122:
77:
76:
73:
67:
65:
36:
35:Robbins in 2007
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
526:
516:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
439:
438:
420:
409:
398:
383:
372:
361:
350:
339:
327:
326:
324:
321:
283:Rachael Taylor
210:
207:
166:
165:
162:
158:
157:
148:
146:Olympic finals
142:
141:
137:
136:
133:
129:
128:
125:
119:
118:
109:
105:
104:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
88:
84:
83:
63:
59:
58:
55:
51:
50:
47:
46:Full name
43:
42:
38:
37:
34:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
525:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
463:Living people
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
450:
448:
436:
432:
429:
424:
418:
413:
407:
402:
396:
392:
387:
381:
376:
370:
365:
359:
354:
348:
343:
337:
332:
328:
320:
318:
313:
311:
307:
303:
298:
296:
290:
286:
284:
280:
276:
272:
266:
262:
260:
257:
251:
247:
245:
244:
239:
238:the same name
234:
232:
226:
224:
220:
216:
206:
204:
200:
199:2004 Olympics
196:
195:women's eight
192:
191:2000 Olympics
188:
184:
180:
176:
172:
171:Sally Robbins
163:
159:
156:
152:
149:
147:
143:
138:
134:
130:
126:
120:
117:
113:
110:
106:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
80:
74:(age 43)
64:
60:
56:
52:
49:Sally Robbins
48:
44:
39:
32:
27:
23:Sally Robbins
19:
423:
412:
401:
386:
375:
364:
353:
342:
331:
314:
299:
292:
288:
268:
264:
253:
249:
241:
235:
231:Julia Wilson
227:
212:
187:women's four
170:
169:
161:World finals
72:15 July 1981
18:
453:1981 births
395:Beijing Now
310:John Coates
259:John Howard
54:Nationality
447:Categories
393:, Site of
323:References
308:President
302:Alan Jones
254:Even then
246:reported:
68:1981-07-15
57:Australian
209:Biography
431:Archived
193:and the
123:Event(s)
275:Seville
203:cyclist
197:at the
189:at the
116:cycling
179:rowing
112:Rowing
95:Weight
87:Height
215:Perth
175:Perth
108:Sport
103:Sport
79:Perth
155:2004
151:2000
132:Club
62:Born
273:in
449::
312:.
240:.
225:.
205:.
153:,
114:,
70:)
66:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.