Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Long jump: 2004 - 1st (U18), 2005 - 3rd (U20), 2006 - 8th (open) 1st (U23), 2007 - 4th, 2008 - 1st
Triple jump: 2004 - 1st (U18)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World Junior Championships: 2006 - long jump 1st (8.00m)
World University Games: 2007 - long jump 1st (8.02m)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

Long jump:
2004  7.35m
2005  7.87m
2006  8.00m
2007  8.02m/8.15mw
2008  8.01m

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
100 metres: 10.55 (-1.5) - Cairns, 16/06/07
Long jump: 8.02m (-0.6) - Bangkok (THA), 12/08/07, 8.15m (+2.2) - Cairns, 17/06/07
Triple jump: 15.53m (+1.0) - Sydney, 10/12/04

Interesting Facts

Robbie was a gifted rugby league player who chose athletics to fulfil a dream of representing his country at the Olympic Games. Beijing 2008 is firmly in his sights.

Sporting Career

An Indigenous athlete from Bowen in far north Queensland, Robbie holds an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship and is coached by Craig Hilliard.

Robbie won the long jump and triple jump at the 2004 Australian All Schools Championships and emerged as one of the nation’s most exciting young athletics talents.

His short-to-medium term aim of qualifying for the 2006 Commonwealth Games ended when he finished a disappointing eighth at that year’s Australian Championships, however, he rebounded in superb fashion with selection for the World Junior Championships in Beijing.

Despite twisting an ankle eight weeks out from that competition, he made the trip and, as they say, the rest is history. Robbie hit the magical eight-metre mark and won himself the gold medal in the process.

His 2006-07 domestic season was sound, commencing with a win in Perth with a strong tailwind and victory at the high-profile World Athletics Tour meet in Melbourne in perfect conditions. Robbie finished fourth at the Australian Championships in March and, two months later, competed solidly at the Osaka Grand Prix in Japan.

Upon his return to Australia, Robbie jumped a massive 8.15m in Cairns in June - only to have it deemed illegal by a 2.2 tailwind.

Frustratingly, a legal eight-metre leap continued to elude him on European stops in Spain and Italy. Selected for the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand, Robbie saved his best for then, unleashing a 8.02m effort that won him the gold medal.

In 2008, Robbie opened his season with a 8.01m jump at the Canberra Athletics Classic just 1cm off his personal best set in 2007. A month later Robbie would take victory with a 7.91m (0.1) jump at the Melbourne IAAF WAT. The AIS athlete was in form leading into the National Championships and he wouldn't dissapoint. Victorious with a jump of 7.86m (0.3) it would be Robbie's first Australian National Open title.

The World Junior long jump champion is still seeking atleast a 'B' qualifier to be considered for selection in the Australian team for Beijing, but trust the young star will do everything he can to qualify for Beijing.