Olympics postponement is best medicine for Robby Andrews
“I would have had to rush my training in preparation for the Trials. I’m grateful to have the extra time to prepare.”
By George Kochman, Special to the Advance
A decade ago, Robby Andrews burst into track & field prominence with a series of spectacular performances that thrust him into the national spotlight.
Andrews, born on Staten Island, and representing Manalapan (N.J.) HS, set national indoor records at 800 and 1000 meters.
Two years later, he was the talk of the track world.
At the University of Virginia, he won two NCAA 800 meter titles, was a three-time All-American, and was named the Outstanding Male Athlete at the Penn Relays while leading his team to two Championship of American titles. And to round it out, he was given the Atlantic Coast Conference Sportsmanship award in 2011.
Turning pro, and representing adidas, he was a strong fifth at the 2012 Olympic Trials 1500 meters, and won gold & bronze at two World Championship Relays meets.
His career continued on the upswing, but here was success and disappointment in 2016.
He began with a close fourth-place finish at the 1500 at the World Indoor Championships, barely falling short of a bronze medal.
Andrews easily qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 1500m, but his Olympic dream ended in Rio when he was disqualified in his semifinal race after stepping inside the curb while executing his famous kick.
The following year, he defeated Matthew Centrowitz, outkicking the Olympic 1500 champion to take his first USATF national title.
The came Lyme disease, a long recovery, followed by a series of nagging injuries, with a 2019 surgery to remove bone spurs.
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