Robert Pipkins

Not to be confused with Diamond Pipkins.

Robert Pipkins
Personal information
NationalityAmerican
Born (1973-02-23) February 23, 1973 (age 51)
Buffalo, New York, United States
Sport
SportLuge

Robert Pipkins (born February 23, 1973) is an American former luger.[1] He competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics and the 1994 Winter Olympics.[2] He was the first African-American to represent the United States in the luge at an international level.[3]

Biography

Pipkins was born in Buffalo, New York in 1973, and attended Drexel University in Philadelphia.[1] He took up luge in 1987, after his mother read about the sport and encouraged him to take part in the sport.[4] In 1992, Pipkins became the first American luger to win an international race,[5] when he finished first at the World Junior Championships.[1] He was on the US Luge Team from 1991 to 1998,[6] winning four back-to-back titles during that time.[1][7]

At the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, Pipkins competed in the men's singles event, finishing in 21st place.[8] Two years later, at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, he competed in the same event,[9] this time finishing in 16th place.[10] He also tried to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics.[11]

In 1993 in Oberhof, Germany, Pipkins was attacked by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads.[12][13] Fellow luger Duncan Kennedy came to Pipkins rescue,[14] helping him to get away.[1][15] Following the attack, the United States Olympic Committee declared that Germany was "dangerous".[1] The Mayor of Oberhof also sent an apology to Bill Clinton, with those involved handed prison sentences.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Robert Pipkins". Olympedia. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Robert Pipkins Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. ^ "Robert Pipkins". Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  4. ^ "Luge: Robert Pipkins". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  5. ^ "How one Islander made it to Winter Olympics as a luger in 1990s". Staten Island Live. February 11, 2018. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  6. ^ "Ex-Olympian Robert Pipkins: Lugers still feel safe despite Vancouver death". Staten Island Live. February 15, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  7. ^ "Pipkins takes 4th national luge crown". Deseret News. March 2, 1997. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  8. ^ "Singles, Men (1992)". Olympedia. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  9. ^ "Pipkins Conquers the Unknown in Luge". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1994. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  10. ^ "Singles, Men (1994)". Olympedia. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  11. ^ "Two-time Olympian Robert Pipkins raced". AP News. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "Olympics: Attack on U.S. Lugers Has Racial Overtones". The New York Times. October 31, 1993. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  13. ^ Nier, Charles (January 1995). "Racial Hatred: A Comparative Analysis of the Hate Crime Laws of the United States and Germany". Penn State Law. pp. 241–280. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  14. ^ "Luge Racer Retires". The Spokesman. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  15. ^ "When it comes to luge, many Americans consider in an Olympic-only event. The current US luge team could change that perception". Chicago Tribune. January 16, 1997. Retrieved February 26, 2022.