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O'Brien's Out; No Shot for Huffins at Reigning Olympic Champ

© Susan Wessling

By Susan Wessling

While one American's newest Olympic dreams have been dashed, another is ready to step into the spotlight.

Defending Olympic decathlon champion Dan O'Brien announced on Tuesday that he will not compete in the Olympic Trials. Nursing a severe injury - O'Brien has a 60 percent tear of his plantar fascia in the bottom his foot - the reigning Olympic champion said the likelihood that he will not compete in the decathlon is as "98 to 99 percent." The event begins Thursday at Hornet Stadium.

O'Brien appeared at a press conference Tuesday, along with two-time defending U.S. decathlon champion Chris Huffins, the World Championships bronze medalist.

O'Brien said that on Wednesday (July 12th) afternoon, he was at Washington State University and his plan was to train Monday through Friday with light training scheduled on Saturday. "On Wednesday, I had just run a couple of flights of high hurdles and I felt very good," he said. "I went over to the high jump and took four or five jumps. And, on probably my fifth or sixth jump, I felt a pop in the middle of my left arch, which is my takeoff leg."

O'Brien said he immediately went into the training room and was told he had a strain of his plantar fascia. "I didn't walk on it that evening and had to use crutches the following morning," he said.

An MRI on Friday revealed a 60 percent tear of his plantar on his left foot. "A lot of the swelling had gone down in the first 48 hours and I felt all right. But, I still didn't move very well," he said.

Because of the tear in his arch, O'Brien said, he does not foresee any way he can participate in the U.S. Trials on Thursday. "It hurts too much even to jog at this point," he said. "A couple of times I thought 'The hell with it; just go for.' "But, I can't take three or four steps without having to stop. It's that painful. I don't know whether to laugh or cry - it's that strange."

Huffins said he is ready physically and mentally for the U.S. Trials, but he was clearly disappointed with O'Brien's withdrawal. "I've been prepared for a long time for this day where I felt like I was at my best and the only decathlete on the planet I've never beaten was at his best and we would go at it," Huffins said. "Mixed feelings doesn't even describe how I feel right now.