Martin strikes gold at World Jrs.

Penn sophomore wins gold medalPenn sophomore wins gold medalrunning third leg of 4x400 relay atPenn sophomore wins gold medalrunning third leg of 4x400 relay atWorld Junior Championships For a 10-day period, Penn sophomore Robin Martin not only saw the future, he lived it. While being housed in the Olympic Village in Sydney, Australia, Martin signed hundreds of autographs, visited kangaroos, had four massueses at his disposal and was constantly followed by bodyguards -- all in a day in the life of an Olympic athlete at the 2000 Olympic Games. But wait. The Atlanta Games have been closed only a few weeks, and Martin isn't even an Olympic athlete. He just posed as one. "I have now seen the future of track and know what I have to do to be there," Martin said. "It was the experience of a lifetime." At the end of June, Martin finished second in the 800-meter final at the Junior National Championship, running a personal-best time of 1 minute, 49.61 seconds. In doing so, Martin secured a spot on the U.S. Junior World Track and Field Team that competed in Sydney at the end of August in the World Junior Championships. The events were held in the venues that will host the 200 Olympic Games. Historically, approximately 75 percent of the World Junior Championship team goes on to compete in the Olympics. Martin did not only gain experience in Sydney, he left with a gold medal around his neck. He ran the third leg of the U.S. 4x400 relay team, helping the Americans to a gold medal with at time of 3:13 -- one second off the World Junior record. His individual split was clocked at 46.4 seconds. Martin also competed in the individual 800 meters, although he did not advance to the finals. "The highlight of my experience was running the victory lap, holding the American flag, with my teammates," Martin said. "I have never felt more satisfied." Athletes from 180 countries participated in the championship. "Sydney is going to be the perfect place for the next Olympics," Martin said. "It was especially exciting for me because the people of Sydney are really into track and field. I couldn't count the number of autographs I gave even if I wanted to." The star treatment extended beyond the track, as well. Martin was given tours of the city on a ferry so his legs would not tire. "I had to buy a new suitcase before leaving Australia because of all the free stuff I received," Martin said. "Now I have too many shirts, jackets, keychains and other stuff." But Martin's sporty new wardrobe was not easily obtained -- he has been training since he was three years old. While in high school, Martin competed in cross country and track and field but decided to concentrate his energy in track during his college years. Martin was a 1996 Outdoor Heptagonal Champion in the 800 and a second-team all-Ivy honoree in the 800 for the indoor season. At the Indoor IC4A Championships, Martin was part of the fifth-place 4x400 relay team that recorded the third-best time in Penn history (3:14.65). He also came in third in the 500-meter run, with a time of 1:03.78, placing him third on the Quakers' all-time list. At the Outdoor IC4As, Martinwas the anchor on the school record-setting mile relay (3:08.37), recording a split time of 46.1 seconds, while the team placed fifth. Martin also competed in his first Penn Relays this past spring, where he was a part of the 4x800 relay team and the distance medley team. The distance medley relay recorded a time of 9:53, ninth best in the history of the Relays. Martin was also voted Penn's "outstanding freshman" by his peers. Martin's long-term goal is to return to Sydney in four years for the 2000 Olympics, but he has several college-orientated goals to keep him busy in the meanwhile. Foremost, he wants to win a Hepatagonal team championship and qualify for nationals. "I plan to be at Sydney again, but I don't need to think about that constantly -- it can just be in the back of my mind," Martin said. "My coach, Charlie Powell, understands the situation and will do everything in his power to help me on my way."