Tibia Injury Halts O’Brien
Three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist decathlete Dan O’Brien will not compete in next week’s U.S. Track and Field Championships because of an apparent stress fracture.
O’Brien, attending the NCAA Championships as an assistant to Washington State coach Rick Sloan, said Wednesday he had not yet had a bone scan or an MRI of his right tibia but said the injury will take three or four weeks to heal.
O’Brien, the world record-holder, said he made the decision not to compete on Tuesday after having missed two weeks of training.
The U.S. championships are the qualifying meet for the American team, with the first three finishers in each event earning places on the squad that will compete in Greece in August.
With O’Brien absent from the championships, that would leave two of the best U.S. athletes off the team, since Michael Johnson, the Olympic champion at 200 and 400 meters, most likely will miss the meet because of an injured quadriceps.
Johnson was hurt Sunday during his 150-meter match race against Donovan Bailey at Toronto and his appearance at the national championships is considered “extremely doubtful.”
In that case, O’Brien said he would “pressure” the selection committee by filing a request after the championships to get a spot on the team.
“How will it look if Dan O’Brien and Michael Johnson don’t compete on the U.S. team?” he said.
“There should be exemptions for people who deserve them … Not for the Olympics, keep the process for that. But for the world championships … I’ve worked hard to win three world championships.
“It should be up to the IAAF (the world governing body for track and field) to pick the candidates (for the world championships). If there are eight Kenyans in the steeplechase, so what? They’re the best.”
O’Brien said he definitely would be ready for the world championships.
“I could be ready in a month,” he said. “Absolutely.”
O’Brien said he did not injure his leg during competition, but by pressing too hard during workouts.
“Coming off the Olympics, I wanted to have a big year and I was anxious to win another world championship,” he said. “I’m disappointed (at missing the U.S. championships), but I welcome the break.”