Kerry O'Brien (athlete)
O'Brien in 1971 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 17 April 1946 Port Augusta, South Australia, Australia | |||||||||||
| Died | 13 December 2025 (aged 79) | |||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg (154 lb) | |||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||
Event(s) | Mile-10,000 m, steeplechase | |||||||||||
| Club | UTEP Miners, El Paso | |||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 5000 m – 13:37.2 (1970) 10,000 m – 28:43.6 (1969) 3000 mS – 8:21.98 (1970)[1][2][3] | |||||||||||
Medal record
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Kerry Dennis O'Brien (17 April 1946 – 13 December 2025) was an Australian runner. Competing in the steeplechase he won a silver medal at the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and finished fourth at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He held the world record in this event between 1970 and 1972. At the 1970 Commonwealth Games, O'Brien fell at the penultimate water-jump, while leading, and failed to finish the race. He also fell during the 1972 Olympics. He retired in 1973 having won nine Australian titles in the steeplechase, 5000 m and cross-country running.[4] O'Brien died on 13 December 2025, at the age of 79.[5]
International competitions
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | British Empire and Commonwealth Games | Kingston, Jamaica | 8th | 1 mile |
| 2nd | 3000 m steeplechase | |||
| 1968 | Olympic Games | Mexico City, Mexico | 4th | 3000 m steeplechase |
| 1969 | Pacific Conference Games | Tokyo, Japan | 1st | 3000 m steeplechase |
| 1970 | British Commonwealth Games | Edinburgh, Scotland | 8th | 10,000 m |
| DNF | 3000 m steeplechase | |||
| 1972 | Olympic Games | Munich, West Germany | DNF | 3000 m steeplechase |
| 1973 | Pacific Conference Games | Toronto, Canada | 1st | 3000 m steeplechase |
References
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Kerry O'Brien". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
- ^ "Kerry O'Brien". trackfield.brinkster.net. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Kerry O'Brien". IAAF.org. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019.
- ^ "Kerry O'BRIEN (SA)". Australian Athletics Historical Results. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Tributes for SA athletics great and Olympian". The Advertiser. Retrieved 15 December 2025.