Robert Esmie
 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men's athletics | ||
Representing  Canada
| ||
| Olympic Games | ||
 |
1996 Atlanta | 4x100 m relay |
| World Championships | ||
|
1995 Gothenburg | 4x100 m relay |
|
1997 Athens | 4x100 m relay |
 |
1993 Stuttgart | 4x100 m relay |
| World Indoor Championships | ||
|
1995 Barcelona | 60 m |
Robert Esmie (born July 5, 1972) is a retired Canadian sprinter and member of the 1996 Summer Olympics Gold medal 4x100 m relay. Currently runs his sport training program need for speed http://airblastoff.com
Born in Jamaica and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Esmie was part, along with Glenroy Gilbert, Bruny Surin and Donovan Bailey, of a formidable 4x100 m relay team in the mid-1990s. They were number one in the world from 1994 to 1999
Esmie placed seventh (10.23) in the second semi-final of the 100m and won a bronze medal in 4x100 m relay at the 1993 World Championships. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games, Esmie was a member of the gold medal team in the 4x100 m relay.
Esmie won a bronze medal in the 60 m at the 1995 World Indoor Championships and was again a member of gold medal winning Canadian 4x100 m relay team at the 1995 World Championships.
At the Atlanta Olympics the Canadian men's 4x100 relay team was not favored despite winning most high profile titles in the previous three years, including the 1995 World Championships. Leading up the Olympics, the United States team of Jon Drummond, Tim Harden, Michael Marsh and Dennis Mitchell claimed they would beat Canada, however in 4x100 relay final the Canadian team beat the United States by almost half a second to win the gold in national record time. Esmie was not originally slated to run with the relay team due to politics while Esmie was ranked 3rd in Canada before the relay began but as the team was falling apart they decided to replaced Carlton Chambers the night before the race after Chambers suffered a groin injury in the 200m.
Esmie's gold medal was later stolen.[1]
Esmie and the Canadian team won a gold medal again from lane 8 at the 1997 World Championships.
In 2008 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame as part of the 1996 Summer Olympics 4x100 relay team.[2]
References
- ^ Ten years after, sprinters are still golden
- ^ "Yzerman, Lewis among Canada's Sports Hall of Fame inductees". The Sports Network. 2008-05-13. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- 1972 births
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1994 Commonwealth Games
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Black Canadian sportspeople
- Canadian male sprinters
- Canadian people of Jamaican descent
- Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada
- Jamaican emigrants to Canada
- Living people
- Naturalized citizens of Canada
- Olympic gold medalists for Canada
- Olympic track and field athletes of Canada
- Sportspeople from Greater Sudbury
- Track and field athletes from Ontario
- World Championships in Athletics medalists
- Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Olympic gold medalists in athletics (track and field)