Great Olympians

Biographies - RO

Rob - Roc - Rod - Roe - Rof - Rog - Rol - Rom - Ron - Roo - Roq - Ros - Rot - Rou - Row - Roy - Roz

Henrik Robert

Norway
Sailing (2 silver)
1924 1928 HP
Olympic Monotype silver 12000
12-foot Dinghy Class silver
12000

Paul Robert

Olympic Competitor nr 249

Victor Robert

Olympic Competitor nr 1193

Arthur Robertson

Olympic Competitor nr 1343

David Robertson

Olympic Competitor nr 1631

George Stuart Robertson

Olympic Competitor nr 26

Lawson N. Robertson

B. 1883-09-24, USA; D. 1951-01-22
Track and Field (1 silver, 2 bronze)
1904 1906 1908 HP
60 m Ht:3rd 68.25
100 m sixth fifth Semi:2 1660.5
200 m - Heat:2 0.997
400 m - Rep-dns 30
Standing High Jump bronze silver comp. 7381
Standing Long Jump - bronze 2880
Pentathlon sixth 720
12741

On 1909-04-12, he set a world record for the three-legged race 100 yds, together with Harry Hillman, of 11.0 seconds, a record still unbeaten.

Shirley Robertson

Great Britain
Sailing (2 gold)
1964 1968 HP
Europe gold 9600
Yngling gold 4800
14400

Carl Robie

USA
Swimming (1 gold, 1 silver)
1964 1968 HP
200 m Butterfly silver gold 11400
4 x 100 m Medley Relay qual 68
11468

Daniel Robin

B. 1943-05-31, Bron, Rhône, France
Wrestling (2 silver)
1968 1972 HP
Freestyle, Welterweight silver fifth 7500
Greco-Roman, Welterweight silver sixth 6960
14460

D. Robinson

Olympic Competitor nr 1398

Eric Robinson

Olympic Competitor nr 1344

Sidney Robinson

Olympic Competitor nr 886

Carmelo Robledo

B. 1912-07-13, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Boxing (1 gold)
1928 1932 HP
Bantamweight (-53.5 kg) QF 861
Featherweight (-57.2 kg) gold 9600
10461

Louis Roche

Olympic Competitor nr 1474

Samuel Roche

Olympic Competitor nr 1172

Nicolo Rode

Italy
Sailing (1 gold, 1 silver)
1948 1952 1956 HP
Star fifth gold silver 17812.5
17812.5

Three times the partner of Agostino Straulino.

Conrad Karl Röderer

Olympic Competitor nr 1179

Irina Rodnina

B. 1949-09-12, Russia, Soviet Union
Figure Skating (3 gold)
1972 1976 1980 HP
Pairs gold gold gold 48000
48000

Winner of the Ice Skating Pairs at Sapporo (with Alexei Ulanov), Innsbrück and Lake Placid (with Aleksandr Zaytsev).
Her original partner Ulanov started dating silver medallist Ludmila Smirnova in Sapporo. They would later marry but never regain their sporting success. Rodnina married her two-times partner Zaytsev. She was the oldest champion at Lake Placid.

Joseph Rodrigues

Olympic Competitor nr 634

Max Rodrigues

Olympic Competitor nr 562

Frank-Peter Roetsch

B. 1964, Germany
Biathlon (2 gold, 1 bronze)
1984 1988 1992 HP
20 km silver gold 53rd 10400
10 km 7th gold 9th 6920
4 x 7.5 km fourth fifth - 650
17970

World Champion at 10 km in 1985 and '87, at 20 km in '87.

Jules Roffe

Olympic Competitor nr 560

Joseph Roffo

Olympic Competitor nr 1028

A. Roger

Olympic Competitor nr 1543

Nick Rogers

B. 1977-03-04, Southampton, England, Great Britain
Sailing (2 silver)
2000 2004 2008 HP
470 fourth silver silver 13200
13200

Three times together with Joe Glanfield.

F. Rogues

Olympic Competitor nr 1396

Jean-Christophe Rolland

B. 1968-07-03, Condrieu, France
Rowing (1 gold, 1 bronze)
1992 1996 2000 HP
Coxless Pairs fourth bronze gold 16500
16500

Three times paired to Michel Andrieux.

Jules Rolland

Olympic Competitor nr 1051

Nina Romachkova

see Nina Ponomareva

Alexander Romankov

Belarus, Soviet Union
Fencing - Foil (1 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
1976 1980 1988 HP
Foil, individual silver bronze bronze 12540
Foil, Team fourth silver gold 3750
16290

Georges Romas

Olympic Competitor nr 1325

Hinrich Romeike

Germany
Equestrianism - Eventing (2 gold)
2004 2008 HP
Individual fifth gold 9250
Team fourth gold 2000
11250

Rebecca Romero

Great Britain
Rowing and Cycling (1 gold, 1 silver)
2004 2008 HP
Quadruple Sculls silver 3000
Individual Pursuit gold 9600
Points Race 11th 96
12696

Gianni Romme

B. 1973-02-12, Lage Zwaluwe, the Netherlands
Speed Skating (2 gold, 1 silver)
1998 2002 HP
5000 m gold - 6400
10000 m gold silver 10400
16800

Two skaters had already set world records when Romme hit the ice in the 5000m at Nagano. He shaved another 6 second (off around 7 minutes) to win the gold. In the 10000m as well, he set a new World record. Four years later, he had bettered his time by another 12 seconds to 13:03, but he could not repeat that time at Salt Lake City, even though he went faster than his gold medal pace of Nagano. He lost to his countryman Jochem Uytdehaage, who became the first man under 13 minutes.
His birthplace translates to "Low Swallow".

Ronaux

Olympic Competitor nr 1296

Jon Ronningen

Norway
Wrestling - Greco-Roman (2 gold)
1984 1988 1992 HP
-52 kg fifth gold gold 31050
31050

Alban Rooman

Olympic Competitor nr 1190

Roosevelt

Olympic Competitor nr 489

Albert Roosevelt

Olympic Competitor nr 1661

Roquais

Olympic Competitor nr 668

Iain Murray Rose

B. 1939-01-06, Nairn, Scotland, emigrated to Australia as a baby
Swimming (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1956 1960 HP
400 m Free-style gold gold 12800
1500 m Free-style gold silver 10400
4 x 200 m Free-style Relay gold bronze 2240
25440

He broke a world record on 15 occasions, his first and last at 880 yards freestyle. When he retained the 400 m title at Roma, he had twice beaten Tsuyoshi Yamanaka of Japan by exactly the same margin, 3.1 sec.
He lived on a diet which excluded meat, fish, poultry, refined flour and sugar.

Joseph-Marie Rosé

Olympic Competitor nr 549

Ralph Waldo Rose

B. 1884-03-17, Louisville, Ky, USA; D. 1913-10-16
Track & Field, Tug-of-War (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
1904 1908 1912 HP
Shot Put gold gold silver 27600
Shot Put, two-handed gold 6400
Discus Throw silver 11th 4564
Hammer Throw bronze 8th 3264
56-lb Weight Throw sixth 480
Tug of War fifth 375
42683

Literally a giant of the early Olympics, at 1.96 m and 107 kg.
The silver in the discus in 1904 was after an equal throw of 39.28m with Martin Sheridan. An extra throw decided between them.
Sheridan carried the American flag in the opening ceremony at London, but refused to lower the flag for King Edward.
At Stockholm, he was reported to eat two pounds of steak and six raw eggs in their shells, for breakfast.

Joseph Rosemeyer

Olympic Competitor nr 105

Pierre Rosenbaum

Olympic Competitor nr 641

Hedwiga Rosenbaumova

Olympic Competitor nr 768

Heidemarie Rosendahl

Germany
Track & Field (2 gold, 1 silver)
1972 HP
4 x 100 m gold 1600
Long Jump gold 9600
Pentathlon silver 6000
17200

Edil Albert Rosenqvist

B. 1892-12-11, Finland; D. 1973-09-14
Wrestling (2 silver)
Greco-Roman 1920 1924 1928 HP
Light heavyweight (-82.5 kg) silver 12000
Heavyweight (+82.5 kg) silver
Free-style
Light heavyweight (-87 kg) R1 780
12780

Anatoli Roshchin

From Leningrad (now St-Petersburg), Russia
Wrestling - Greco-Roman (1 gold, 2 silver)
1964 1968 1972 HP
+97 kg silver silver 27000
+100 kg gold
27000

B. Rosier

Olympic Competitor nr 1338

Massimiliano Rosolino

Italy
Swimming (1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze)
1996 2000 2004 2008 HP
400 m Free-style sixth silver fifth 13th 6232.16
200 m Free-style sixth bronze 28th 3200.026
200 m Individual Medley gold 11th 6464
4 x 100 m Free-style Relay fifth 250
4x200 m Free-style Relay sixth fourth bronze fourth 1760
17906.186

Norman DeMille Ross

B. 1896-05-02, USA; D. 1953-06-19
Swimming & Waterpolo (3 gold)
1920 HP
100 m Free-style fifth 1000
400 m Free-style gold 6400
1500 m Free-style gold 6400
4x200 m Free-style Relay gold 1600
Swimming 15400
Waterpolo fourth 800
16200

Antonio Rossi

Italy
Canoeing (3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
1992 1996 2000 2004 HP
K1, 500 m - gold - 6400
K2, 500 m bronze - 7th 2220
K2, 1000 m - gold gold silver 9600
18220

Jules Rossignol

Olympic Competitor nr 366

Galliano Rossini

Italy
Shooting (1 gold, 1 silver)
1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 HP
Clay-Pigeon, Trap 7th gold silver fourth 13th 23298
23298

Rossini was a far relative, not of the composer Rossini, but of the composer Giacomo Puccini.

Paul Rosso

Olympic Competitor nr 1542

P. Rossolin

Olympic Competitor nr 465

Richard Röstel

Olympic Competitor nr 121

Rostin

Olympic Competitor nr 1131

Robert Roth

B. 1898-07-05, Switzerland; D. 1959
Freestyle wrestling (1 gold)
1920 1924 HP
Heavyweight (+82.5 kg) gold QF 10200
10200

Christa Rothenburger

competed from 1992 as

Christa Rothenburger-Luding

B. 1960, Germany
Speed Skating & Cycling (2 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
Speed Skating 1980 1984 1988 1992 HP
500 m 12th gold silver bronze 15450
1000 m 18th fifth gold 8th 7594.56
Cycling 1988 23044.56
Sprint silver 6000
29044.56

World Sprint Skating Champion in 1984 and '88.

Emil Rotong

From Mülhausen/Mulhouse in the (French) Alsace, which was German between 1870 and 1918. His family has most likely remained in that village throughout, so according to the nephew-rule, I count him as French.

Olympic Competitor nr 1105

Leon Rotman

Romania
Canoeing, Canadian (2 gold, 1 bronze)
1956 1960 HP
C1, 1000 m gold bronze 13440
C1, 10000 m gold 9600
23040

Alphonse Rouleau

Olympic Competitor nr 367

Jeffrey Rouse

USA
Swimming (3 gold, 1 silver)
1992 1996 HP
100 m Backstroke silver gold 10400
4 x 100 m Medley Relay gold gold 3200
13600

Florian Rousseau

B. 1974-02-03, Orleans, France
Cycling (3 gold, 1 silver)
1996 2000 HP
1 km Time Trial gold 9600
Sprint 8th silver 4384
Keirin gold 6400
Olympic Sprint gold 4800
25184

Stan Rowley

Olympic Competitor nr 818

Roy

Olympic Competitor nr 526

Rózsa Norbert

Hungary
Swimming (1 gold, 2 silver)
1992 1996 2000 HP
200 m Breaststroke silver gold 13th 10425.6
100 m Breaststroke silver 17th - 4004
4 x 100 m Medley Relay sixth - - 160
14589.6

Written 2001-01-25 - last modified 2002-10-29

This page is part of the site "Full Olympians" by Herman De Wael. See here for a full Introduction.