JFIFC    $ &%# #"(-90(*6+"#2D26;=@@@&0FKE>J9?@=C  =)#)==================================================" }!1AQa"q2#BR$3br %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz w!1AQaq"2B #3Rbr $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ?KP)) -S@B¢+R121M$ԤfR i m+@"*<PqQy9-0#5YRW#zR ֐9MfsE'fQ@SxҜT$!ShZ@_%?0@y+6I6oCU{ 㤀 ُ)pG@qS% |^xQ)b⾑>2P l8󔋇aMKDYF7(@ܑvTI7/j.PV\v5 eVVfWi9bU4ซ(.YPY3c;}?8jwRTVP TqHc~+6Gt]LT?@Wbe:T m=8jJ(ʭ#JoG-bP%nETʘiJMYf(Hm@E&ڜ zP;h(1RLDAivԡ>J,! Fʜ&(d?J:-QQbPj~!$jQEٝ|FztBq m٭KosUfOs+B>+_#ꆴ`>?j?&2:8ҭFW?_ՄF<pه(}_ҟ+KQĎvCP,3B$,v;)ڲ]tTaE/]?ajZ&jAU,҅bىšR qX|b6B) Jc%OMajC]4Pj0* MiMǵǥE LN 1] jXr lggx.c:C ۥX^"TԵ9dŀjx:ePCx[I:º\aXzmm&9Kx@Aթ<=eI+Xbm1W:0egʈ\e^X!cc$)q.Jvd2Ǔn,zzSa|0Y]4c$vҺ-5Ŕ=;Ȭ-!WmSG.U{qhw򵅻,r# R{Ͱ")!X轱1Y!Tg=ڇUd:yU(I|F4qڐX!sڗJs(ZEZҊU 8-GӲqA"(RIiI9Hj`:F{Sׯjc-EU?]m;V?g Ǎ!ܣb#itYSb ]7=?e귋wq)pϽi]> KNV"#-!'?|eqޡ+ ]M{-QfX =WQ7vɀn_Olǚ-edȮDGQ^fKxLc0=[<:v3GN*:Tt3X"8O˥cxĮ^=h@9ZӊFqJ1hF3 ix`QA&W5 l`J!N Qs86)X M9NN RZn1S4 J jl,A^Է\01ɎQTՇr.xq=ȒH\|UB;K (NNg84(>P%f=`uRV:[k:.%\*'VZ\3 ?\Z5͌% J|Bs唸,؋\I Ks 0?Ÿw:V=_G䄎F&bq[. 2k=t6Ì{Qf8֋v:NݺV?X2Lm浀!'$ Y!ts)3A?62)8`vu  $Tr3HF),TF?{<Rb@N+N({{R,Dhv =nMS`Aj7}Ơ8\XqsAؠ,oMG)#y#o\Ƒ9kRVj[ IȤ`U>"coY2 q׵::EPcHX_Z)qUZ9,Gp\Q3<uxcv#(-/vz<:z`Κ*x75~pER%n \[yX9A *'ҝ+Yoǰ8jޫD~iGJ,aI=*QP+tFK2_˥cx@\#$`}jKYX/*(3jW@`|:R2=q9  rH4j"?)<=(a9?/\zR`' _rrqL*FJ3Oݕ'sn< F )v ^eDu@TGJH!i| 6I`iwH )`,[E$h"bȀ\s֋RxZh a{u\1~>|!߅W.c77Lm‱6rtX#Үp) $ugDb>Č)=A4Jhՙv n IL+qHqM~gGbF2=E*џn$pNT݆㱩049!P҃ {QHZ6WCq1$]&Y;RcJ2S1׵#F*X *`VpE1XD{;]pHiH_z@C$2_r;5,s!nO6E>XB>@~^=i \ʒr@SLM$wXbv d7J6Ґ qMtpJ0H0X̓R tL?>~Pَ;R,1 iP`zTFA]%)((?1 kdQNXOLv>Sl 9bƄI:FdU:5ઁ2j(`B)<< #v%}8*2Ł1ޜLQ՘ @tnd u"3'4Cv!f޸L\`*ޭޡ|p'sn>}G$cSŷxqcK 8nA@i "60Pzr!*Pdg7|PrmՄ )͇c1I=(%GTF\ÇP}@$Z,rPge and for the first time, training with a new seriousness and discipline. In 1988 Dan made a decision that would change his life; he<br>decided he wanted to be a decathlete.<br><br> Milt Campbell was one of my mentors, says Dan about the former decathlon gold medalist.  There is so much history in the sport; so much dedication and pride in it. I love the story about Jim Thorpe, how after he won the first decathlon, the king of Sweden shook his hand and said,  Sir, you are the world s greatest athlete. When I heard that story I knew that what I wanted<br>to be wasn t just a great athlete, but the world s greatest athlete. <br><br>In 1991 Dan s goal came within reach when he became the Decathlon World Champion.<br><br>The No-Heighter<br><br>With the 1992 Olympics looming, Reebok saw tremendous marketing potential in two of the U.S. s top contenders for the decathlon: Dave Johnson and Dan O Brien. The  Dan or Dave ad campaign was launched on Super Bowl Sunday, and<br>overnight the pair became celebrities. Who would win in the showdown at Barcelona Dan or Dave? was the question the advertising campaign centered upon.<br><br>The only problem was Dan never made it on the Olympic team for Barcelona.<br><br> I will never know exactly what went wrong that day, says Dan in quiet<br>resignation, shaking his head and obviously waiting for the interview to move ahead.  I just don t know. <br>What happened was Dan missed all three pole vault attempts at the Olympic trials. His  no-heighter cost him his place on the U.S. team. Thanks to the publicity machine at Reebok, Dan s no-heighter was the most publicized athletic failure of the year, or perhaps decade.<br><br>For Dan, the public humiliation was tremendous. Sportswriters said he lacked the heart and guts of a true competitor, and that he was a much ballyhooed athlete with no discipline. Reebok dropped him like a hot potato. In a few minutes, Dan went from feeling on top of the world to the depths of depression. But while the media questioned Dan s true talent and potential, Dan knew that the no-heighter was a fluke. He had never done it before, and now he was determined that he would never do it again.<br><br> I can t explain what happened that day, but I realized I would have to be<br>totally prepared for any eventuality in the future, says Dan.  It took a few<br>weeks, and quite a few calls from friends, family, coaches and other<br>athletes. Then I was back into training and totally focused. <br><br>Dan s effort paid off almost immediately. Although he didn t compete at<br>Barcelona, a few months later Dan entered the decathlon event in Talence, France. There he set a new world record 8,891 points a record that still stands today. For Dan, he had proven to himself that he had what it takes to be the world s greatest athlete. But the public only remembered the no-heighter. To truly redeem himself, and earn the title he so fervently desired, Dan knew he needed the Olympic gold.<br><br>Dan went on to win two more world championships before the 1996 Olympic trials came around. Once again, all eyes were on Dan, a