Robert Howard (triple jumper)
Robert Howard | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 26, 1975 |
| Died | August 14, 2004 (aged 28) |
| Occupation | Athlete |
Robert Howard was an American triple and long jumper, a nine-time NCAA collegiate champion, and murderer.
Collegiate career
[edit]In choosing a college, Howard elected to follow in the lengthy horizontal jumping tradition at the University of Arkansas, where he would follow in the footsteps of such luminary jumpers as Mike Conley, Sr., Edrick Floreal, Jérôme Romain, Brian Wellman and Erick Walder.
Putting his own stamp on the track program, Howard won nine individual collegiate championships while jumping for Arkansas:[1]
| Event | Years won |
|---|---|
| NCAA Indoor Triple Jump | 1996, 1997, 1999 |
| NCAA Indoor Long Jump | 1997 |
| NCAA Outdoor Triple Jump | 1996, 1997, 1998 |
| NCAA Outdoor Long Jump | 1997, 1998 |
During this time, the Razorback team, under the guidance of legendary coach John McDonnell, itself won seven of the eight available NCAA team titles, indoors and out.
Howard competed at the 1997 World University Games, finishing third in the triple jump. In 1997, he was named Collegiate Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News magazine for winning all four jumps in the two NCAA championship competitions.
All of Howard's personal records were set while he was a collegian:[2]
| Event | Outdoors best | Year | Indoors best | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triple Jump | 17.11m | 1998 | 17.04m | 1997 |
| Long Jump | 8.40m | 1997 | 8.16m | 1997 |
Professional career
[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2023) |
In 1999, Howard missed the majority of the season with an injury.
Howard qualified for the US Olympic team in the triple jump twice, making the finals in both Atlanta and Sydney. He finished seventh in 1996 and eighth in 2000. He won the triple jump competition at the 2000 Olympic Trials with a leap of 55-9 (16.99). His best finish in USATF competitions was a second in the triple jump in 2001.
Admitted to medical school in 1999, Howard worked in his jumping around his schooling, studying at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to be a neurosurgeon. He had deferred his medical studies for one year to train for the 2000 Olympics and again for the 2004 Olympics. He finished fifth in the 2004 Olympic Trials, falling short in his attempt to make the Olympic team for the third time.
Rankings
[edit]During his career, Howard was ranked among the top jumpers in the US by Track and Field News.[3]
| Year | Event | World rank | US rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Triple Jump | 10th | 3rd |
| 1997 | Triple Jump | - | 2nd |
| Long Jump | - | 7th | |
| 1998 | Triple Jump | - | 2nd |
| Long Jump | - | 9th | |
| 1998 | Triple Jump | - | 2nd |
| Long Jump | - | 9th | |
| 2000 | Triple Jump | - | 1st |
| Long Jump | - | 5th | |
| 2001 | Triple Jump | - | 3rd |
| Long Jump | - | 9th | |
| 2002 | Triple Jump | - | 9th |
Death
[edit]On August 14, 2004, shortly after his failure to make the Olympic team and in the opening hours of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Howard violently murdered his wife, Robin Mitchell, the chief neurosurgery resident at UAMS who was named a "soaring medical star" by the Times Herald Record,[4] and later leapt to his death from the 10th story of a medical school dormitory. Police found Mitchell dead in the couple's bed with dozens of stab wounds to the head and torso.[5][6][7][8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Razorback Track & Field Media Guide" (PDF). HogWired.com.
- ^ Robert Howard at World Athletics
- ^ "Track and Field News: Archive". Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ Ben Montgomery (August 17, 2004). "Soaring medical star found slain in Ark". Times Herald-Record.
- ^ Associated Press: Ex-Olympian believed to have killed wife, jumped to death. August 16, 2004
- ^ "Olympian haunted by failures, suicide note says – Olympics – NBCSports.com". Archived from the original on 2008-07-07. Retrieved 2008-07-14.
- ^ "McDonnell 'saddened' on news of Howard tragedy". WholeHogSports.com.
- ^ "Triple jumper competed in '96, '00 Games". EPSN. Associated Press. Aug 16, 2004.
External links
[edit]- Robert Howard at USATF
- Robert Howard at World Athletics
- Robert Howard at Olympics.com
- Robert Howard at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)
- 2004 Olympic Trial results
- Razorback Track & Field Media Guide
- 1975 births
- 2004 suicides
- 2004 deaths
- American male long jumpers
- American murderers
- American male triple jumpers
- Arkansas Razorbacks men's track and field athletes
- Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics
- Olympic track and field athletes for the United States
- Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field)
- Track and field athletes from Brooklyn
- Sportspeople from Little Rock, Arkansas
- Sportspeople from Pawtucket, Rhode Island
- Suicides by jumping in the United States
- Suicides in Arkansas
- Murder–suicides in the United States
- Track and field athletes from Rhode Island
- FISU World University Games bronze medalists for the United States
- Medalists at the 1997 Summer Universiade
- Uxoricides
- Deaths of competitors in athletics
- NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
- NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners
- Sportspeople who died by suicide
- 20th-century American sportsmen