22 Facts About Dan O'Brien

Daniel Dion O'Brien was born on July 18,1966 and is an American former decathlete and Olympic gold medalist.

Dan O'Brien won the Olympic title in 1996, three consecutive world championships, and set the world record in 1992.

Dan O'Brien is of African American and Finnish heritage, and grew up as an adopted child in an Irish-American family in Klamath Falls.

At the Oregon High School State Championships he led his team to a team runner-up finish with O'Brien scoring all points.

Dan O'Brien earned four individual gold medals winning the 110 meter high hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, long jump and 100 yard dash.

Dan O'Brien then attended the University of Idaho in Moscow, where he competed in track and field for the Vandals.

Dan O'Brien returned to the UI to compete for the Vandal track and complete his bachelor's.

Dan O'Brien trained for his Olympic and world championships on the Palouse under Idaho's track coach Mike Keller, and Rick Sloan of Washington State in neighboring Pullman for the field.

Dan O'Brien competed at the US Olympic Trials in 1988; after a fast time in the 100 meters, he was injured in the long jump and withdrew.

Dan O'Brien took second place at the Goodwill Games in Seattle in 1990, behind Dave Johnson.

Dan O'Brien did not make the Olympic team for Barcelona, but he continued to train for the competition held in France a few weeks after the Olympics ended.

Dan O'Brien's "no height" in the pole vault was a financial embarrassment for his main corporate sponsor, and for NBC television which was heavily promoting the upcoming Olympics.

Dan O'Brien appeared with US rival Dave Johnson, the Goodwill Games champion, in a popular TV advertising campaign for Reebok.

At the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, Dan O'Brien won the gold medal with 8,824 points, 118 ahead of runner-up Frank Busemann of Germany.

Dan O'Brien broke the world record for the fastest game of hopscotch on Chelsea Piers on May 7,2009.

Dan O'Brien established a record of 81 seconds, breaking the old mark by two seconds.

Shortly following the 2010 MLB season, Dan O'Brien began working with San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval, in an effort to help the struggling slugger lose weight.

Dan O'Brien has been a resident of the Phoenix area since 1997, relocating from northern Idaho.

Dan O'Brien owns Gold Medal Acceleration, a gym in Scottsdale, is a volunteer track coach at ASU, and does commentary for track and field events on television.

Dan O'Brien won the Olympic gold medal for decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and won gold medals at the 1991,1993, and 1995 World Championships in Athletics.

Dan O'Brien was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, along with Dave Johnson.

Dan O'Brien was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2006, the University of Idaho Sports Hall of Fame with the large inaugural class of 2007, and the United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 2012.