Rising middle-distance gun Ky Robinson has become the first Australian man to win the 10,000m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games since 1958 … and, even more surprisingly, he took on the opposition and Glasgow’s grim weather in a cap.
While the gold medal may seem like a shock to many, for those who have followed the 24-year-old’s brief running career, it is not totally unexpected.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Ky Robinson claims gold in 10,000 metres
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Last year in the World Championships, Robinson competed against a high-quality field and placed fourth in the 5000m. And earlier this year, he broke the Australian record in the 10,000m.
Speaking to Channel 7 after the race, Robinson, a Queenslander, was beaming.
“It was actually a lot of fun out there,” he told Seven’s Jason Richardson.
“I was grinning from ear to ear for parts of it, just because it was like, a couple guys go to the front then slow it down immediately, so a lot of fun to go have a tactical race.”
Robinson noted the change in the weather after the race, and said: “Look how great the weather is now … it couldn’t be like this 20 minutes ago.”
Of course, during the race Robinson was running in the tumbling rain, and Richardson quizzed him on that white cap.
“I haven’t seen you race in a cap … was that to keep the rain out?” Richardson asked.
Robinson: “Yeah … that was a last-minute decision.
“Five minutes before we came out, I got the cap from the coach and it kept the rain out of the eyes, which was very nice.
“I run in a cap sometimes, but never really in the rain and never in the cold, so it was a bit new.”
Richardson: “When the conditions were so bad, do you think that suited you? I mean, the Aussie grit, we like it a bit tough.”
Robinson: “I think so … I don’t know if it necessarily helped me or disadvantaged others. Because in the call-room, I was talking with a guy from the Seychelles, and he was complaining about the weather because he’s like, “It’s usually so hot where I’m from, and I’m like, well, we can we can get some pretty bad downpours in Brisbane, and in the US where I’m training now, there’s a lot of snow in the winter, so I can go through a bit of adversity and it worked out today.”
Robinson avoided earlier drama in the race when a runner in the pack lost his footing and briefly went down before bouncing back up.
A few laps later, a stray shoe was spotted on the track, but none of the athletes appeared to be missing one, so it was a bit of a “mystery”, Tamsyn Manou said.
Robinson’s win ends Uganda’s stranglehold on this event, having won the past five Commonwealth Games titles.
Robinson still has the 5000m to come in a couple of days where he will run with fellow Aussies Jackson Sharp and Seth O’Donnell.
That race is at 4.45am AEST Sunday morning, and is a straight final.
“I was saying that if the race was a little faster, then it takes a lot more time to recoup,” Robinson said.
“And after my 10k earlier in the year, where I got the Aus record, like it took me a solid week before I could walk normally again. Like I was in a lot of pain.
“So I was definitely glad for the slow pace (today) to help me help me out there. And yeah, now I’ve got a couple days to get ready and go again.”
