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BIOGRAPHYGlobetrotting former American decathlete Dan Golubovic sat out of championships between 2017 and 2020 to become eligible to represent Australia. He got his first chance to wear the green and gold at the 2022 world championships and two weeks later at the Commonwealth Games. In just 13 months he will line-up for his third Australian team – the 2023 world championships in Budapest. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the US, ‘Decathlon Dan’ trains in Brisbane the city which has developed fellow decathlete Ash Moloney and Cedric. In his Australian debut at the world championships, Dan was tremendous, scoring 8071 points for 14th place. A highlight was his 13.92 PB in the 110m hurdles. Just 10 days later he scored 8197 points to claim silver at the Commonwealth Games. In first decathlon in 2023 Dan was impressive scoring 8301 points to placed sixth at Gotzis in May. The highlight was a pole vault PB of 5.10m. In August at the Budapest World Championships, he moved up two places from his Eugene finish, to place a tremendous 12th with a score of 8141 in the stifling heat. It was his sixth 8000-point score in less than two years. + + + + + Beginning his athletics journey as a pure high jumper aged 16, Dan picked up the pole vault as an 18-year-old. From there, he tested his aptitude across other disciplines before committing to the decathlon when enrolled to UC San Diego at 19. He competed in 9 decathlons between 2016 and 2018, at major championships like the NCAAs and USA Championships. He first competed in Australia at the 2019 Nationals, winning with a PB tally of 7901. Later in the year he was sixth in the USA Nationals. His first tally over 8000 points was in June 2021 in Townsville, scoring 8233 points, but he missed Olympic selection. He extended his PB to 8336 in December 2021, ahead of making his Australian debut in 2022. USA to Australia: Previously representing the USA, Dan is a dual citizen and sat through a three-year waiting period between 2017-2020 to became eligible to represent Australia…Team decathlon: “My coaches, medical staff, and training partners over the past couple of years have all played a huge role preparing me for these outcomes and more…Dan’s Coaching Team: Paul Pearce – sprints, Mike Barber – throws, Steve Rippon - Pole Vault, Stuart Anderson – hurdles, Gary Bourne - long Jump, Dan O’Sullivan - high jump and Pat Castelli – strength…Occupation: Pricing Analyst at Shell Energy…Advice to his younger self: “Surround yourself with the right people, be patient, and trust the process.”…Biggest challenge he’s faced: “The financial sacrifice of a career in athletics. Money isn't everything and I always received the advice growing up of "do what you love," but it becomes incredibly disheartening when what you love doesn't pay the bills; especially when investing literal blood, sweat, and tears on a daily basis. And balancing work, if not the right role, ends up in a decrease in performance that only adds to the emotion. But where there is a will, there truly is a way, and while athletics may not be the most financially lucrative career path, it has provided me with opportunities and experiences that I simply cannot put a price on…High School in the USA: Primary and Secondary School: Grand View Elementary School and Mira Costa High School (Los Angeles)…Education: B.A. Economics/ Finance at University of California, San Diego in 2016, Masters in Management Studies at Duke University North Carolina in 2017…Hobbies: shifter karts, motocross, cars, jet skis, boats, guitar and drums…Interesting Fact: Both his father and younger brother are pilots, and Dan too had aspirations to fly until athletics caught his eye. @ November 2023 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au |