Dan O'Brien: From Setbacks to Olympic Gold (2)
Dan O'Brien was born on July 18, 1966, in Portland, Oregon, and spent his early years in an orphanage before being adopted in 1968 into a large, multiethnic family. In high school, he excelled in football and basketball and also made a name for himself in track and field, winning numerous state titles.
Although he earned a scholarship to the University of Idaho, academic ineligibility kept him from competing for several seasons. After a stint at a community college in Spokane, Washington, a more focused and determined O’Brien returned to Idaho, poised to win the national collegiate decathlon title in 1989 - until an injury kept him out of the competition.
He made his international debut at the 1990 Goodwill Games, finishing second. A year later, he claimed his first national title in the decathlon and went on to win the world championship. In 1993, he defended that world title and added another major achievement: setting a world record of 6476 points in the indoor heptathlon. His winning streak continued with victories at the 1994 Goodwill Games and the 1995 world championships.
But Olympic success didn’t come easily. At the 1988 U.S. Olympic trials, a long-jump injury ended his chances early. Then in 1992, despite his rising fame - thanks in part to a popular ad campaign with fellow decathlete Dave Johnson - O’Brien shockingly failed to make the Olympic team. He missed all three pole vault attempts during the trials and finished a heartbreaking 11th overall.
Later that year, he bounced back by setting a world record of 8891 points at a meet in Talence, France - beating Olympic champion Robert Zmelik by over 500 points.
Between the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, O'Brien faced and overcame a series of personal and professional challenges: injuries, a drinking problem, and mental hurdles. With the help of a sports psychologist, he improved his mindset - especially toward the 1500 meters, the decathlon’s grueling final event, which he had always struggled with. He was also diagnosed with ADHD and learned strategies to sharpen his focus.
All the hard work paid off. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Dan O’Brien finally captured the one title that had eluded him - Olympic gold - with a score of 8824 points.