Rodney
Martin
Olympian 2008
Athlete Bio#
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Height
5'9"
Age
42
Hometown
Las Vegas
Education
Western (Las Vegas, Nev.) HS '01 Kansas City (KS) CC ’03; South Carolina '05
Career Highlights
4th at 2007 World Outdoor Champs; 3rd in 200m at 2007 USA Outdoors;4th in 200m at 2008 Olympic Trials; 4th in 200m at 2006 USA Outdoors; 3rd in 200m at 2005 NCAA IndoorsMartin’s fifth-place 100m finish at the 2008 Olympic Trials placed him in the 4x100m relay pool for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where he ran the lead leg in the opening round. Martin set personal bests in 2008 in the 100 meters (9.95) and 200 meters (19.99), both were set at the 2008 Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., Martin made a name for himself in 2007 by finishing third in a loaded 200m final at the AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, and fourth in the 200 at the World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan. In the Osaka final, Martin stopped the clocks in 20.06 seconds, which bettered his previous career best of 20.14 from his third place finish at the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships. During his senior year at the University of South Carolina, Martin showed remarkable consistency in finishing fifth in both the 2005 USA Outdoor and NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 200 meters. In 2006, Martin set personal bests in both the 100 meters (10.24) and 200 meters (20.14). Martin first attended Kansas City Community College before enrolling at South Carolina. He lettered in football, wrestling and track at Western HS in Las Vegas, where he earned a Silver Scholar Award….recently moved to Los Angeles where he is being coached by John Smith…a Criminal Justice major at South Carolina.
2008: 5th at Olympic Trials (9.97w)…4th in 200m at Olympic Trials (19.99PR)…ran lead leg in opening round of 4x100m relay at Olympic Games, team did not finish…5th in semifinals at Olympic Trials (9.95PR)…7th at Nike Prefontaine Classic (10.27)…2nd in 100m B race (10.12w) and 200m (20.30) at Reebok Grand Prix…1st in 100m B Race (10.13) and 3rd in 200m (20.55) at adidas Track Classic (20.55)…3rd at Fort-de-France (20.39)…ranked #5 in U.S. by T&FN…bests of 9.95 & 19.99.
2007: 4th at World Outdoors (20.06)... 3rd at USA Outdoor Championships (20.18)…5th at Nike Prefontaine Classic 200m (20.68). 4th in 200m at Lausanne (20.42)…3rd in 200m at Sheffield (20.39)…3rd in 200m at Rethimno (20.53)…4th in 200m at London (20.49)…ranked #5 in world, #4 U.S. by T&FN…bests of 10.31 & 20.06.
2006: 3rd at USA Outdoor Champs (20.14PR)…2nd at Penn Relays (10.24)…1st at Turin (20.42)…ranked #8 in world (#6 U.S.) at 200m by T&FN…bests of 20.14, 10.24.
2005: 5th at USA Outdoors (20.46)…5th at NCAA Outdoors (20.61)…7th at NCAA Outdoors 100m (10.42)…3rd at NCAA Indoors 200m (20.38)…ranked #8 in U.S. by T&FN…bests of 10.25, 20.34.
2004: 3rd at SEC Champs…best of 20.84.
2003: Best of 20.57w.
Olympic Experience
- 1-time Olympian;
- Olympic Games Beijing 2008, (4 x 100m Relay - Men)
World Championships Experience
- Most recent: 2007 – gold (4 x 100m Relay - Men), 4th (200m - Men)
- Years of participation: 200m - Men 2007; 4 x 100m Relay - Men 2007
- Medals: 1 (1 gold)
- Gold – 2007 (4 x 100m Relay - Men)