| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men'stennis | ||
Representinga Mixed team | ||
 | 1896 Athens | Doubles |
Sir George Stuart RobertsonKC FSA (25 May 1872 inLondon, England – 29 January 1967 in London, England) was a Britishbarrister, public servant, athlete,tennis player, and classical scholar. He competed at the1896 Summer Olympics inAthens.[1][2][3]
Robertson was educated atWinchester College[2] andNew College, Oxford,[4] where he had won theGaisford Prize for Greek Verse in 1894 and anOxford Blue for hammer throwing. In 1896, he saw an advertisement in the window of a London travel agent, and later explained "Greek classics were my proper academic field, so I could hardly resist a go at the Olympics, could I?" Robertson paid£11 to travel toAthens for the inaugural modern games. On arrival there, he was dismayed to find that hammer throwing, the discipline he was most proficient in, was not to be competed in at the games. However, in the spirit of amateurism he entered for theshot put and thediscus instead.[5]
In the discus throw, he came fourth, with a distance of 25.20 metres; the worst result ever recorded in the Olympics discus.[5]
In the singles tennis tournament, Robertson was defeated in the first round byKonstantinos Paspatis ofGreece. This put him in a six-way tie for eighth (last) in the field of thirteen competitors. In the tennis doubles, Robertson partnered theAustralianEdwin Flack. The pair received a bye in the first round, advancing them to the semi-finals and guaranteeing them a top three place before they had played a game. They lost their semifinal match toDionysios Kasdaglis ofEgypt andDemetrios Petrokokkinos ofGreece, finishing third.[6]
Robertson is also remembered for his performance in the ceremony which followed the games, when he recited an ode to athletic prowess which he had composed inAncient Greek;[5] this feat was rewarded by the King of Greece who bestowed an olive and laurel wreath.[7]
He had a successful career after athletics. He was called to the Bar by theMiddle Temple in 1899. He served as Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies (1912 to 1937) and as Industrial Assurance Commissioner (1923 to 1937), and was also a director of the Prudential Assurance Company. He was knighted in the1928 Birthday Honours.[2]
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