Jadin O鈥橞rien鈥檚 Olympic quest continues with national title
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (BVM) 鈥� Over the past few years, Jadin O鈥橞rien has proven to be one of the best track and field athletes in the entire country. While competing in the pentathlon, the Notre Dame standout has found plenty of success. However, it hasn鈥檛 come without hard work, focus, and overcoming some adversity.
As a freshman, O鈥橞rien burst onto the scene for the Irish, earning a fourth-place finish in the pentathlon at the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships with a program-record score of 4,296 points.聽
In 2022, O鈥橞rien was poised for even greater success in her second year in South Bend. Yet, with all she had accomplished as a freshman, including competing in the Olympic trials where she finished 12th out of 18 competitors, O鈥橞rien felt added pressure to perform.
Congrats to Jadin O'Brien on finishing 12th in the heptathlon at the US Olympic Trials with 5,671 points! She finished it off by placing 3rd in the 800m (2:12.34)!鈽橈笍
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF)
鈥淚 was a little anxious,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 think more of the pressure came from myself 鈥� Once I had my first meet, once I broke the mold, then things just fell into place. I think from freshman year to sophomore year I matured a lot.鈥�
That maturation showed throughout the season. Continuing to grow while learning the subtleties of the elements that make up the pentathlon 鈥� which she had not formally competed in until she got to college 鈥� O鈥橞rien achieved a first-place finish at the ACC indoor championships.
鈥淭hat was awesome,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 came in with low expectations into the ACC meet. I knew I was really good, but I didn鈥檛 know how good I could be. Winning ACCs, I elevated myself in a way, in the eyes of the NCAA, but also just in myself.鈥�
Ranked No. 3 in the nation in the pentathlon, O鈥橞rien headed into the 2022 indoor national championships poised to take home a title. However, adversity struck again.
After competing in the 2021 event with a torn quad, O鈥橞rien came into the 2022 event healthy until getting food poisoning less than 24 hours before competition.聽
鈥淚t was a mental challenge, it was huge for me,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淎nd a physical challenge, obviously. But I wasn鈥檛 going to let food poisoning stop me from competing well at nationals. That鈥檚 not going to happen.鈥�
After being sick throughout the night, O鈥橞rien had difficulty just sitting up in her bed by morning. She made her way to the track, but two laps into her typical five-lap warmup, she felt on the verge of passing out. Remarkably, the Notre Dame track star made it through, and was able to match her fourth-place finish from the year prior.
鈥淚t was a very physically challenging meet,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 overcame it, I pushed through it. The meet itself didn鈥檛 go great, but I was able to push through it and get fourth place. I鈥檓 very proud of myself for just persevering and not letting the situation that I was in impact me the way it could have.鈥�
Coming off the indoor season, O鈥橞rien faced another challenge. This time, it was deciding to redshirt for her outdoor season. Despite being healthy, O鈥橞rien and her coaches decided on a plan of action to have O鈥橞rien sit her second outdoor season in order to be eligible for a fifth-year down the road, helping her to be able to train longer at Notre Dame for her professional goals.
鈥淚n the moment, it was really, really tough,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 injured. I was coming off a great indoor season last season. It was really hard mentally. I kept thinking, 鈥楢m I going to be able to get back? Am I going to be as good as I was?鈥� There were a lot of things that kept going in my head through that redshirt season.
鈥淚t was for the best because I trained my butt off during that time, I got a lot stronger and it paid off this indoor season.鈥�
After sitting out the 2022 outdoor season, O鈥橞rien was predictably eager to get back this year. With her continued development, she also set a lofty, yet realistic goal for herself.
鈥淲hen I say I was hungry, I was so hungry, I was ready to go,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 told my coach at the beginning of the season, and actually, I told my parents earlier, 鈥業 want a national title. I think I can do this. I want that and I鈥檓 going to work for it.鈥�
鈥淚 dedicated myself to becoming a national champion. I knew I had it in me, I wanted that. I was done with taking fourth place at nationals.鈥�
Throughout the season, O鈥橞rien shined. Continuing to develop within the pentathlon event while also gaining a sense of her 鈥渨hy鈥� in the sport, the third-year Notre Dame athlete was not only more prepared physically, but had a stronger mental approach that helped her succeed.
鈥淚鈥檇 say there was a lot of growth, physically, but also mentally from my freshman year to now,鈥� O鈥橞rien mentioned. 鈥淚鈥檓 a lot stronger than I was, I鈥檓 a lot faster, and I鈥檓 a lot more experienced with the sport itself.鈥�
By the time O鈥橞rien reached the 2023 ACC indoor championships, she entered the meet as a clear favorite for back-to-back titles. While a little pressure might have creeped into her mind, O鈥橞rien鈥檚 confidence won out.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a little whisper in the back of your head that, you won it last year, you gotta do it again,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淏ut I really didn鈥檛 focus on that. I came in with the mindset that I am the best.鈥�
At the event, O鈥橞rien dominated, ultimately winning with a personal-best score of 4,377 points that included a time of 8.53 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles, distances of 1.71 meters in the high jump and 5.90 meters in the long jump, a 13.68-meter throw in the shot put, and a 2-minute, 13.95-second time in the 800-meter.
Jadin O'Brien take a bow! 馃憦馃徏
馃 in the women's pentathlon with 4377 points, a personal best and now first in the country!
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF)
The conference championship propelled O鈥橞rien back to nationals. After a torn quad as a freshman, and food poisoning as a sophomore, the pentathlon star was hoping this year would be distraction free.聽
鈥淚n the back of my mind I was like, 鈥極k, what鈥檚 this year gonna bring?鈥欌��
While she felt a bit sick initially from the altitude in Albuquerque and dealt with a knee ailment, it was overall the healthiest O鈥橞rien had come into the event. Zoned in throughout the week, she finally came to the realization the night before the national championship event that she had the opportunity to do something special.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 really hit me that I was going to compete for the title until the night before the actual event,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 was calm, I was confident, I had my wire high, ready to go. I did everything I had needed to do to prepare for the national championship. But the night before it really sunk in. I was like, 鈥業鈥檓 about to go do this. I鈥檓 about to do something that鈥檚 really, really hard in a few hours.鈥欌��
In years prior, O鈥橞rien entered the national championship competition quiet, focused and locked in. While she found herself in the same zone this year, being more personable and light-hearted helped her stay loose. It led to a strong start to the event, as she set PRs in the high jump (1.72 meters) and the shot put (13.85 meters). With a third-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles and a sixth-place finish in the long jump, the final event was on deck: the 800-meter race.聽
鈥淭he 800 is by far the hardest event, and it鈥檚 the most dreaded event by most people,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of my better events, but regardless, everyone is very nervous at this point.鈥�
In second place going into the final competition, O鈥橞rien lined up on the track where the PA announcer let everyone know how close the pentathlon standings were. A motivated O鈥橞rien took advantage.
鈥淗e said it as we鈥檙e on the line,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not exactly what you want to hear, but after hearing that, and seeing how close I was to the top, I was like, 鈥榊ou know what Jadin, here we go. We鈥檙e gonna do this.鈥� I gave it my best in the 800 and I PR鈥檇.鈥�
The PR time of 2:13:40 in the 800-meter gave O鈥橞rien a personal-best 4,512 points to earn the championship, creating a moment that will last a lifetime.
That feeling after you win a national title 馃憫馃ズ
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF)
Raise that trophy high Jadin! You are a 饾懙饾拏饾挄饾拪饾拹饾拸饾拏饾拲 饾應饾拤饾拏饾拵饾拺饾拪饾拹饾拸馃ぉ
— Notre Dame XC/TF (@NDXCTF)
鈥淚t was crazy,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 crossed the finish line, and it hadn鈥檛 sunken in. I was too tired to think about anything, I crossed the finish line and immediately fell to the floor. But camera guys were in my face as soon as I crossed the finish line. So, I was kind of like, 鈥極h, well that鈥檚 probably a good sign.鈥� And then I hear on the speaker, the announcer goes, 鈥楢nd an unofficial national champion, Jadin O鈥橞rien.鈥� Once I heard that, I just started crying.鈥�
Now, O鈥橞rien will soon begin her second outdoor season at Notre Dame, and is excited to get back to it after sitting out last season. Continuing to stay loose while not adding any extra pressure to herself, O鈥橞rien believes she could be title bound again this spring.
鈥淚鈥檓 so excited because it鈥檚 been over a year since I鈥檝e competed outdoors,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 really nothing holding me back. I want an outdoor national title. I鈥檓 going to work and I鈥檓 going to fight for that. I鈥檓 going to go for it.鈥�
O鈥橞rien鈥檚 summer figures to have a lot of training in store in South Bend. Ultimately, it could lead her to an ACC championship three-peat, and perhaps back-to-back national titles.聽
鈥淚t would mean a lot,鈥� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 know I鈥檓 capable of it, I know I have it in me. It鈥檚 what I want. It would just be awesome.鈥�
However, the training will also be part of a long-term goal. For several years, O鈥橞rien has had her sights set on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The games are just under a year-and-a-half away, meaning it will soon be time to ramp things up for the Notre Dame athlete.
鈥淕oing into the summer and then leading into next season, I鈥檓 kind of going to have the mindset of, 鈥楲et鈥檚 just see what happens,鈥欌�� O鈥橞rien said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait, honestly. The trials was such a surreal experience. I kind of knew that I was most likely not going to make it to the Olympics as a freshman. But now I have a lot more confidence in my abilities and what I can do. I鈥檓 going to remember that as I train. I know I can do it. It鈥檚 just going to be a matter of putting things in place, staying focused, and believing in myself.鈥�
It鈥檚 been an incredible start to O鈥橞rien鈥檚 collegiate career, and the sky鈥檚 the limit for her going forward. No matter where her future leads, however, O鈥橞rien will now always be able to call herself a national champion.
鈥淚t was an unreal day,鈥� she concluded. 鈥淚t took everything I had to win. I did it. It still hasn鈥檛 totally sunk in. I鈥檓 just so grateful.鈥�
