Oregon Public Broadcasting

Perhaps the third time will be the charm for an Oregon native with an unlucky record at the Olympics. 

Monday night in Eugene, Tom Pappas became the first American man to make three Olympic teams in the decathlon.

On the first two go-rounds, Pappas finished fifth in Sydney.  At the Athens Games, an injury forced him to drop out.

Tom Pappas: “You know, I have the World Championships under my belt.  This is really the only thing in my career that I feel is missing, is a good Olympic Games.  Sydney didn’t turn out all that well and ‘04 was a disaster. This is the one thing left on my resume. If I got an Olympic medal, that would mean everything.”

Pappas was born and raised in rural southwest Oregon and attended Lane Community College in Eugene.

At least 50 Pappas relatives shouted encouragement from the bleachers during the two days of decathlon competition at the Olympic Trials.