William Robbins (athlete)

William Corbett Robbins ( born August 9, 1885 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, † 30 July 1962 in Washington, DC) was an American sprinter.

At the Olympic Games in London in 1908, he held long in the finals of the 400-meter run, but the finish line by the British Wyndham neck shaft and the US- runner John Carpenter was initially overhauled and came in third place. Carpenter was disqualified because he had pushed down the stretch neck shaft (which is permitted under U.S. rules, pursuant to the applicable UK rules, however, was not permitted).

The judges sat two days later at a repetition races with marked lanes, stayed away from the Robbins and his compatriot John Taylor in solidarity with Carpenter. Neck shaft was the only participant of this run to a noncombat victory.

William Robbins started for the Irish American Athletic Club.