Dan O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Daniel Dion O'Brien (born July 18, 1966 in Portland, Oregon
) is a former American
decathlete
. He was deemed one of the best decathlon athletes of the 1990s, winning an Olympic gold medal after winning three consecutive world titles.
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
, Oregon
. He graduated from Henley High School (Klamath Falls, Oregon)
in 1984 and the University of Idaho
in 1989, where he competed in track and field
. His name is attached to the university's outdoor track and field venue, where he quietly trained for his Olympic and world championships under the aid of Idaho's track coach, Mike Keller.
O'Brien won the Olympic gold medal
for decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta
, and also won gold medals at the 1991
, 1993
, and 1995 World Championships in Athletics
.
In 1992 he set a world record of 8,891 points, and appeared with U.S. rival Dave Johnson
in a popular TV advertising campaign
for Reebok
. The series of commercials, entitled "Dan & Dave
," were meant to build interest in Reebok and the decathletes, culminating in the 1992 Summer Olympics
in Barcelona. At the U.S. Olympic trials at Tad Gormley Stadium
in New Orleans, O'Brien voluntarily passed on the lower heights in the pole vault, then failed in his first three attempts, resulting in no points for the event, and ultimately, did not qualify for the Olympic team. His unexpected failure received considerable attention; Reebok adjusted by running new ads featuring him cheering on Dave, who went on to win the bronze medal.
In the late 1990s, Dan O'Brien appeared in ads for Italian designer Versace. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
in 2005, along with Dave Johnson and was inducted into the University of Idaho Sports Hall of Fame with the large inaugural class of 2007.
O'Brien broke the world record for the fastest game of hopscotch
on Chelsea Piers
on May 7, 2009. He established a record of 1 minute and 21 seconds, breaking the old mark by two seconds.
O'Brien has been a resident of the Phoenix
area since 1997. He 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.
In 2010, Henley High School honored O'Brien by renaming its football field after the athlete.
O' Brien attended Spokane Falls Community College.
Shortly following the 2010 MLB season, O'Brien began working with San Francisco Giants third baseman, Pablo Sandoval in an effort to help the struggling slugger lose weight so he can be better prepared to help the Giants defend their 2010 title.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
) is a former American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
decathlete
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
. He was deemed one of the best decathlon athletes of the 1990s, winning an Olympic gold medal after winning three consecutive world titles.
Dan O'Brien is of African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
heritage and grew up as an adopted child in an Irish-American family in Klamath Falls
Klamath Falls, Oregon
Klamath Falls is a city in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. Originally called Linkville when George Nurse founded the town in 1867, after the Link River on whose falls this city sat, although no falls currently exist; the name was changed to Klamath Falls in 1892...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. He graduated from Henley High School (Klamath Falls, Oregon)
Henley High School (Klamath Falls, Oregon)
Henley High School is a public high school southeast of Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States in Klamath County.-Academics:...
in 1984 and the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
in 1989, where he competed in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. His name is attached to the university's outdoor track and field venue, where he quietly trained for his Olympic and world championships under the aid of Idaho's track coach, Mike Keller.
O'Brien won the Olympic gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
for decathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, and also won gold medals at the 1991
1991 World Championships in Athletics
The 3rd World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo, Japan between August 23 and September 1 and athletes from 167 countries participated in the event.The event is best-remembered for the...
, 1993
1993 World Championships in Athletics
The 4th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held in the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany between August 13 and August 22 with the participation of 187 nations....
, and 1995 World Championships in Athletics
1995 World Championships in Athletics
The 5th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, Sweden between August 5 and August 13.This edition featured 1804 athletes from 191 nations....
.
In 1992 he set a world record of 8,891 points, and appeared with U.S. rival Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson (athlete)
David Allen Johnson is a former Olympic decathlete from the United States. A native of North Dakota, he grew up in Montana and Oregon. He was part of Reebok's "Dan & Dave" advertising campaign leading up to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, where he won a bronze medal in the decathlon...
in a popular TV advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
for Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
. The series of commercials, entitled "Dan & Dave
Dan & Dave
Dan & Dave was an advertising and merchandising campaign by American shoe manufacturer Reebok during the build-up to the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The promotion was meant to generate excitement and support for the Olympic competition between American decathletes Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson...
," were meant to build interest in Reebok and the decathletes, culminating in the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
in Barcelona. At the U.S. Olympic trials at Tad Gormley Stadium
Tad Gormley Stadium
Tad Gormley Stadium is a multi-purpose outdoor stadium, located in City Park, in New Orleans, Louisiana, named for Frank "Tad" Gormley. It has been used for football, track & field, and soccer. It played host to the US Olympic Track & Field Trials for the 1992 Summer Olympics...
in New Orleans, O'Brien voluntarily passed on the lower heights in the pole vault, then failed in his first three attempts, resulting in no points for the event, and ultimately, did not qualify for the Olympic team. His unexpected failure received considerable attention; Reebok adjusted by running new ads featuring him cheering on Dave, who went on to win the bronze medal.
In the late 1990s, Dan O'Brien appeared in ads for Italian designer Versace. He was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
in 2005, along with Dave Johnson and was inducted into the University of Idaho Sports Hall of Fame with the large inaugural class of 2007.
O'Brien broke the world record for the fastest game of hopscotch
Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a popular playground game.- Court and rules :- The court :...
on Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers
Chelsea Piers is a series of piers on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City that was a passenger ship terminal in the early 1900s that was used by the RMS Lusitania and was the destination of the RMS Titanic....
on May 7, 2009. He established a record of 1 minute and 21 seconds, breaking the old mark by two seconds.
O'Brien has been a resident of the Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
area since 1997. He owns Gold Medal Acceleration, a gym in Scottsdale
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
, is a volunteer track coach at ASU
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, and does commentary for track and field events on television.
In 2010, Henley High School honored O'Brien by renaming its football field after the athlete.
O' Brien attended Spokane Falls Community College.
Shortly following the 2010 MLB season, O'Brien began working with San Francisco Giants third baseman, Pablo Sandoval in an effort to help the struggling slugger lose weight so he can be better prepared to help the Giants defend their 2010 title.
External links
- University of Idaho - Alumni Hall of Fame - 1995 - Dan O'Brien
- University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - Dan O'Brien
- Arizona State University track team - Dan O'Brien - volunteer coach
- A "Dan & Dave" reunion - The Portland Tribune - 07-Oct-2005
- Biggest sports busts -- ESPN Page 2