Kerry O'Brien

1946 –

Kerry O’Brien is Australia’s best performed Olympic steeplechaser. In the rarefied atmosphere of Mexico City in 1968 he finished an excellent fourth behind the winner, Amos Biwot of Kenya. Biwot was Kenya’s first winner in the event and over the eleven succeeding Olympics, including London 2012, the country was to win a further nine gold medals.

O’Brien set a world record for the event in Berlin in 1970 and retained that status entering Munich 1972. He was running comfortably in his heat, in an excellent position to qualify for the final, when he lost a running shoe after being spiked by another runner. Proceeding without the shoe, he soon came to grief when he slipped on the synthetic track attempting to clear another barrier. His Olympic career was over.

Falling at the wrong time in a major event was not new for O’Brien. At the 1970 Commonwealth Games at Edinburgh, whilst in a prominent position, he fell at the water jump on the penultimate lap. He watched from the infield as compatriot, Tony Manning, held off two Kenyan’s to claim the gold medal.