Robert Gary (born April 5, 1973) is a retired

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

athlete who competed in the 3,000 meter

steeplechase Steeplechase may refer to: * Steeplechase (horse racing), a type of horse race in which participants are required to jump over obstacles * Steeplechase (athletics), an event in athletics that derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing ...

at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

and

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Track and field career

College career

Gary ran for the

Ohio State Buckeyes The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree ...

where he was a six-time All-American and was a

Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...

champion. Gary graduated from Ohio State in 1996.

International career

At the 1996 Olympic Trials Gary finished 2nd in the 3,000 meter Steeplechase to qualify for the 1996 Olympics. At the 1996 Olympics, Gary finished 11th in the 1996 Summer Olympics Men's 3000 metres steeplechase heats. At the 1999 World Team Trials, Gary finished 2nd to qualify for the

1999 World Championships in Athletics The 7th World Championships in Athletics, a World Athletic Championships event held under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and Augu ...

where he finished 7th in his heat race. At the 2003 World Team Trials, Gary finished 3rd to qualify for the

2003 World Championships in Athletics The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. Men's results ...

where he finished 12th in his heat race. At the 2004 Olympic Trials Gary finished 3rd in the 3,000 meter Steeplechase to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. At the 2004 Olympics, Gary finished 12th in the 2004 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase heats.

Cross-Country

Gary was an accomplished cross-country runner, winning a national title in 2003 and having two top-3 finishes in 2004 at the national championships. Gary competed in the 1998 and 2004

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

Coaching career

Gary was the head cross-country coach (1996-2012) and head track and field coach (2006-2012) for the

. Gary is currently the head track and field and cross-country coach for the

Furman Paladins The Furman Paladins are the varsity athletic teams representing Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, in intercollegiate athletics. Furman competes in NCAA Division I athletics and is one of the smallest NCAA Division I schools in the ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gary, Robert 1973 births Living people American male steeplechase runners American male long-distance runners Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Olympic track and field athletes of the United States Athletes (track and field) at the 1999 Pan American Games Pan American Games track and field athletes for the United States World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States Evanston Township High School alumni Sportspeople from Evanston, Illinois Ohio State Buckeyes men's track and field athletes