About the Author

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One of the top athletes in the history of decathlon, O'Brien competed in his first Olympic Games in 1992 and went on to win a gold medal in the decathlon at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics earning him the distinction of the World's Greatest Athlete. Dan also won gold medals at the 1991, 1993 and 1995 World Championships. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Dan competed at the University of Idaho. During his senior year there he earned All-America honors. The former Idaho Vandal now has his name associated with the home venue of his Alma mater, the Dan O'Brien Track Complex. O'Brien provided analysis for NBC's coverage of track & field in both the 2000 Sydney Games and the 2004 Athens Games. Dan continues to speak and broadcast at events around the country. Most recently, he joined the CBS broadcast of the NCAA Outdoor Championships as a field reporter. Dan O'Brien lives Scottsdale, AZ where he is a volunteer track & field coach for Arizona State University. About Co-Author Brad Botkin is a CBSSports.com Assistant Managing Editor. Since graduating from Sonoma State University in 2003, Brad has worked as a sportswriter/editor at both newspapers and magazines.