Lance Brooks

Sport: Track and Field

Nation: United States of America

DOB: January 1, 1984

Hometown: Denver, CO

Career Highlights: Down to his sixth and final throw in the discus at the U.S. trials, Brooks had already posted the best toss of the meet but he hadn't yet reached the Olympic "A" standard of 65.0 meters necessary for a spot in London. He had also fouled on his previous two tosses, perhaps feeling the pressure with his back to the wall. "The fourth and fifth throws I tried to get after it a little bit," Brooks said. "I know I had to calm down for my last throw. I just had to relax." He did, coming up with a personal-best heave of 213 feet, 9 inches (65.15 meters) for a ticket to England, avoiding what would have been a bittersweet first national title if it didn't include an Olympic berth. Brooks said it only dawned on him a little over a year ago that he could even be an Olympian. He elevated his performance last year, with a third-place showing at the U.S. outdoor championships to earn a spot at the world championships. "I didn't really know track and field existed after college," Brooks said. "My heart was set on basketball. When I made the world team I started to focus a little more." That focus has paid off with a chance to become the first U.S. man to medal in the discus since 1984.

Olympic History: None