Robinson Wins Stawell
02 Apr 2013
Andrew Robinson became the first Tasmanian in 72 years to win the Australia Post Stawell Gift in a nail-biting conclusion to the 132nd edition of the famous $40,000 footrace.
Running off 7.25m, the 20-year-old recorded 12.01 seconds for the 120m event to take the victory by just two hundredths of a second and was ecstatic with the win.
“Oh my god. I’m lost for words. I knew I was in good shape coming here but to win the thing. To win this, my life has changed,” Robinson said.
“I went out there to run as fast as I can and when those back markers get to me kick like a mule and get to that finish line first.”
It was a dramatic start to proceedings when race backmarker and $1.30 favourite Mitchell Williams-Swain, initially running off 4.5m, broke and was pulled back a further metre.
Robinson was quietly confident after the restart. “I thought my luck might be in. When that happened I was quietly happy about it myself. But I still knew I had to execute. I put that behind me pretty quickly.”
Half way down the Central Park straight Robinson hit the lead but with the finish frame looming, sensed the threat of the nuggety Queenslander.
“I could feel him. I could see him. Out of the corner of my eye the red coming on. I thought ‘get there, get there’ and the line couldn’t come quick enough and I got there so I am wrapped.”
Williams-Swain, who ran 11.95s in the semi-finals, narrowly failed in his bid to become just the fourth two-time winner of the race recording 12.03 seconds.
Robinson could not progress out of the heats of last year’s Gift having finishing third to eventual winner Matt Wiltshire and dedicated the win to coach Ray Quarrell who lost his home in the January Dunalley bushfires in Tasmania.
“I wanted to go out there this weekend and make him proud. I love him like a second dad,” said Robinson.
Quarrell coaches his charge remotely and despite seeing him only once every fortnight knew he was ready for the big race.
“We rested Andrew last week from the state titles. Then I trialled him and I knew he would have a great shot at Stawell. We came over and we did it,” said Quarrell.
When asked what he would do with the $40,000 winner’s cheque, Robinson promptly replied “It changes my life. I am a uni student. I’d like to buy a new car and put the rest to a house or the HECS debt.”
William (Ken) Hutton in 1941 was the last man from Tasmania to win, taking victory in 12 6/16ths of a second of 7 1/4 yards.
