Olympic Power Couple Loyal to Two Nations

June 28, 2012

Olympic hopefuls American Ashton Eaton and Canadian Brianne Theisen are hoping to compete for gold for their respective countries, but have already won the affection of one another. Photos by Erik van Leeuwen/ Wikimedia Commons and Tom Banse.

By tradition, the Olympic decathlon champion assumes the title of the "world's greatest athlete." Those are big shoes to fill. But this month, a 24-year-old from the U.S. state of Oregon installed himself as the gold medal favorite.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials coincidentally took place on Ashton Eaton's home field in Eugene, Oregon. The fans were behind him from the beginning of the 10-event competition. Eaton started off strong by setting new decathlon records for the 100 meter dash and long jump.

Then the decathlon moved into more difficult events, the shot put and high jump. The first day finished with the 400-meter sprint. Day two started with the high hurdles.

And then in quick succession: discus and pole vault, where Eaton set a new personal best. He stopped to consult his coach before the final events, the javelin throw and the 1,500-meter race.

"I look at him and I go, 'Alright, what do I have to throw and what do I have to run to get the American record?' He stopped and looked at me, 'No, Ashton, the world record.' At that moment I saw his belief in me and I was like, 'Let's go do it then,'" Eaton said.