Dan O'Brien facts for kids
O'Brien in 2009
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Daniel Dion O'Brien | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | July 18, 1966 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 2 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | danobrien.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Track & Field | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Decathlon | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | University of Idaho | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Mike Keller (UI), Rick Sloan (WSU) |
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Medal record
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Daniel Dion O'Brien, born on July 18, 1966, is a famous American athlete. He used to compete in the decathlon, which is a tough track and field event with ten different challenges. Dan O'Brien won a gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1996. He also won three world championships in a row, from 1991 to 1995. In 1992, he even set a new world record for the decathlon.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Dan O'Brien was born in Portland, Oregon in 1966. He was adopted and grew up in Klamath Falls. He went to Henley High School. There, he was a star athlete, winning four gold medals in track and field. These wins helped his team finish second in the state championships.
After high school, Dan went to the University of Idaho. He competed for the Vandals track and field team. He also trained for the Olympics and world championships. His coaches were Mike Keller from the University of Idaho and Rick Sloan from Washington State.
In 1988, Dan competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. He started strong but got hurt during the long jump. This injury made him withdraw from the competition. In 1990, he won second place at the Goodwill Games in Seattle.
Olympic Journey
The 1992 Olympic Trials
Dan O'Brien was the favorite to win the gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He was the world champion in 1991. But at the U.S. Olympic Trials in New Orleans, something unexpected happened. In the pole vault event, Dan failed to clear the bar on all three tries. This meant he scored no points for that event.
Because of this, he dropped from first place to eleventh. He did not make the Olympic team for Barcelona. This was a big surprise, especially since he was in a popular TV ad campaign for Reebok. The ads, called "Dan & Dave," showed him and fellow decathlete Dave Johnson. After Dan's unexpected failure, Reebok changed the ads to show him cheering on Dave. Dave went on to win a bronze medal at the Olympics.
Setting a World Record
Even though he missed the 1992 Olympics, Dan O'Brien kept training hard. In September 1992, he set a new world record in Talence, France. He scored an amazing 8,891 points! This record stood for many years. It was finally broken in 1999, and then the American record was broken in 2012 by Ashton Eaton. Dan was there to congratulate Ashton when he set the new record.
Gold at the 1996 Olympics
Dan O'Brien finally achieved his Olympic dream at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He won the gold medal in the decathlon with 8,824 points. He was 118 points ahead of the second-place athlete from Germany.
After his Olympic win, Dan took a break. He then won the Goodwill Games title in 1998. This was his eleventh win in a row since 1992. Sadly, an injury to his foot in 2000 stopped him from competing in the U.S. Olympic Trials. This meant he could not defend his Olympic title. More injuries kept him from returning to the trials in 2004.
Personal Bests
Here are some of Dan O'Brien's best performances in the different decathlon events:
| Event | Performance | Location | Date | Points |
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| Decathlon | 8,891 points | Talence | September 5, 1992 | 8,891 points |
| 100 meters | 10.32 (+1.7 m/s) | Atlanta | June 21, 1996 | 1,018 points |
| Long jump | 8.08 m (26 ft 5.98523622 in) | Talence | September 4, 1992 | 1,081 points |
| Shot put | 16.69 m (54 ft 8.96161418 in) | Talence | September 4, 1992 | 894 points |
| High jump | 2.20 m (7 ft 2.48917323 in) | Saint Petersburg | July 28, 1994 | 992 points |
| 400 meters | 46.53 | Tokyo | August 29, 1991 | 982 points |
| 110 meters hurdles | 13.47 | San Jose | May 27, 1995 | 1,044 points |
| Discus throw | 55.07 m (180 ft 7.98523622 in) | Modesto | May 8, 1999 | 977 points |
| Pole vault | 5.20 m (17 ft 0.59940945 in) | Tokyo | August 30, 1991 | 972 points |
| Javelin throw | 66.90 m (219 ft 5.73326772 in) | Atlanta | August 1, 1996 | 842 points |
| 1500 meters | 4:36.63 | Seattle | July 25, 1990 | 702 points |
| Virtual Best Performance | 9,504 points | |||
Life After Competing
Retirement and Other Activities
Dan O'Brien officially retired from the decathlon on July 8, 2004. He has stayed active in the sports world. In 2009, he even broke the world record for the fastest game of hopscotch! He finished it in just 81 seconds.
He also worked with baseball player Pablo Sandoval in 2010 to help him get in shape. In the late 1990s, Dan appeared in ads for the fashion designer Versace.
Books and Podcasts
On June 1, 2012, Dan O'Brien released a book called "Clearing Hurdles: The Quest to Be The World's Greatest Athlete." He wrote it with Brad Botkin.
Dan and Dave Johnson are also featured in an ESPN Radio podcast. It's called "The Trials of Dave and Dan" and tells their story.
Current Life
Since 1997, Dan O'Brien has lived in the Phoenix area. He owns a gym called Gold Medal Acceleration in Scottsdale. He also volunteers as a track coach at Arizona State University. You can sometimes hear him giving commentary for track and field events on TV.
Honors and Awards
Dan O'Brien has received many honors for his amazing career.
- He won the Olympic gold medal in decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
- He won gold medals at the 1991, 1993, and 1995 World Championships in Athletics.
After his 1996 Olympic win, the state of Idaho celebrated "Dan O'Brien Day." The city of Moscow also held a parade for him.
Dan was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He also joined the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2007, he was part of the first group inducted into the University of Idaho Sports Hall of Fame. In 2012, he was honored in the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
His hometown of Klamath Falls named a street after him in 1996. In 2010, Henley High School renamed its football field in his honor. The University of Idaho's outdoor track and field area was also named for Dan O'Brien in 1996. He helped rededicate it in 2012 after a big renovation.
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Dan O'Brien para niños
