Quick Facts
AriesBiography
"Arnie" Paul Robinson, Jr. (born April 7, 1948) is a retired American athlete. He won a bronze medal in the long jump at the 1972 Olympics and a gold medal in 1976.
Career
Arnie Paul Robinson Jr. stayed in the San Diego area throughout his career, first at Samuel F. B. Morse High School, then San Diego Mesa College and San Diego State University, where he was the 1970 NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Champion in the long jump. The following year he won his first USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships title, representing the San Diego Track Club. That qualified him to go to the Athletics at the 1971 Pan American Games, where he won the Gold Medal. In 1972 he won the USA Championships again, this time representing the U.S. Army. That was the first time he qualified for the Olympic team winning the Olympic Trials. In Munich that year he was third in the Olympics behind youngster Randy Williams who was setting the still standing World Junior Record in the long jump. Then starting in 1975, Robinson went on to win four straight USA Outdoor Championships, representing an assortment of clubs. The 1975 championship qualified Robinson to again go to the Pan Am Games, where he won the silver medal behind the first of 4 jumping gold medals for João Carlos de Oliveira of Brazil. In 1976, he bested Williams in both the Olympic Trials and the Olympics, taking home the Gold Medal and a career best 8.35m jump. In 1977, his National Championship qualified him to go to the first ever World Cup meet in Düsseldorf, where he again took home Gold.
In 2000, Robinson was elected into the USATF National Track and Field Hall of Fame. Earlier that year, he was seriously injured in an auto accident.
As of 2005, he was teaching physical education courses at Mesa College in San Diego. He was previously the head track coach at Mesa College, starting in 1982.
On April 13, 2013, San Diego Mesa College honored the Olympian Long Jumper by naming their Invitational (Arnie Robinson Invite hosted in San Diego at Mesa College)after him, and presenting him with an award.