Betty Robinson

Athletics Robinson ran her first official race on March 30, 1928, at the age of 16, at an indoor meet where she finished second to Helen Filkey, the US record holder at 100 m, in the 60-yard dash. At her next race on June 2, outdoors at 100 meters, she beat Filkey and equalled the world record, though her time was not recognized because it was deemed wind-aided. She remains the youngest athlete to win Olympic 100 m gold. She was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

On 28 June 1931, Robinson was involved in a plane crash and was severely injured. Initial reports had her being discovered unconscious in the wreckage and wrongly thought dead by her rescuer; in fact, he merely thought she was beyond saving. He took her to Oak Forest infirmary, locally known as the "Poor Farm", because he knew the undertaker. Doctors determined she had suffered severe multiple injuries and she would never race again.

After athletic career Retiring after the Berlin Olympics, Robinson remained involved in athletics as an official. She worked in a hardware store for many years. In 1977, she was inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame. In 1996, she carried the Olympic Torch for the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Personal life She married and had two children. The family resided in Glencoe, Illinois, a suburb on Chicago's North Shore.

She died at age 87, suffering from cancer and Alzheimer's disease.