| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  American |
| Born | (1966-12-25)December 25, 1966 (age 58) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Running |
Event | 200 meters |
| College team | SMU Mustangs |
| Coached by | Earnest James,Ted McLaughlin,Bob Kersee |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest | 200 m: 20.05 (Indianapolis 1988) |
Roy Chester Martin Jr. (born December 25, 1966) is a formerAmericansprinter. He is considered one of the greatest high school sprinters in American history,[1][2][3] and at the height of his career, he competed for theUnited States at the 1988 Summer Olympics.[4]
As a high school senior in 1985, Martin set theNational High School Record for 200 meters with a time of 20.13 seconds at the 1985UIL Track and Field Championships inAustin. That same year, he also recorded the fastest prep time in the nation for 100 meters at 10.18 seconds and anchored his high school's 4×100 meter and 4×400 meter relay teams to marks (40.28 in the 4×100 and 3:09.4 in the 4×400) that are among the fastest ever recorded in high school competition. Martin was named Male Prep Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News in 1984 and in 1985 and was ranked #3 in the world at 200 meters as a high school senior.[5][6] His national record for 200 meters stood until July 9, 2016, when it was surpassed byNoah Lyles.[3]
There has never been one like him in high school. Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson, nobody.
— Earnest James, Martin’s coach at Dallas Roosevelt.[4]
Martin was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. As a boy, he developed a mechanical running style that earned him the nickname "Robot" from his classmates atFranklin D. Roosevelt High School in Dallas. Throughout high school, Martin competed againstMichael Johnson ofSkyline High School, who later went on to set the world record at 200 and 400 meters and win four Olympic gold medals.
In head-to-head high school competition, Johnson never beat Martin. "He was phenomenal," Johnson recalled of Martin, during an interview in 2008 with the Dallas Morning News. "It was incredible to watch, but at the same time I had to compete against him every week," Johnson said. "You knew first place was gone. You tried to beat out the other guys for second."[4]
He was namedTrack and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1984 and 1985, the first male athlete to win the award twice.[7]
As a college freshman, Martin helpedSouthern Methodist University win the 1986 NCAA track and field championship with a 43.5-second relay carry that propelled the Mustangs to a dramatic victory. His coach at SMU proclaimed Martin "the greatest pure sprinter I’ve ever seen…better thanBob Hayes."[1]
Martin dropped out of S.M.U. after his freshman year and enrolled atPaul Quinn College in Dallas. He later moved to Long Beach, California, to train withBob Kersee and his wifeJackie Joyner-Kersee. Under Kersee's tutelage, Martin regained his form and competed for the United States in the1988 Summer Olympics inSeoul, South Korea, where he finished sixth in the200 meter dash semifinals.[4] Martin retired from sprinting shortly after returning home to Dallas from the Olympics.
Martin has worked as a long-haul truck driver and has held positions as a track coach in the Dallas Independent School District and at Paul Quinn College. He founded and manages a non-profit track club for young Dallas-area athletes. In 2013, Martin was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Hall of Fame, and in 2019, he was inducted into the DISD Athletic Hall of Fame. He is a cousin of former Dallas Cowboys All Pro defensive endHarvey Martin.
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Track & Field News High School Boys Athlete of the Year 1984, 1985 | Succeeded by |
| Records | ||
| Preceded by | Men's World Junior Record Holder,200 metres 11 May 1985 – 11 April 2004 | Succeeded by |
