By tradition, the Olympic decathlon champion assumes the title of the "world's greatest athlete." Those are big shoes to fill. But this month, a 24-year-old from the U.S. state of Oregon installed himself as the gold medal favorite. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials coincidentally took place on Ashton Eaton's home field in Eugene, Oregon. The fans were behind him from the beginning of the ten-event competition. Eaton started off strong by setting new decathlon records for the 100-meter dash and long jump. Then the decathlon moves into more difficult events, the shot put and high jump. The first day finishes with the 400-meter sprint. Day two starts with the high hurdles. And then in quick succession: discus and pole vault, where Eaton set a new personal best. He stopped to consult his coach before the final events, the javelin throw and the 1,500-meter race. "I look at him and I go, 'Alright, what do I have to throw and then what do I have to run to get the American record?' And he stopped me, looked at me, he goes, 'Ashton, the world record.' And at that moment, you know, I saw his belief in me and I was like, 'Let's go do it then.' " And he did. Ashton Eaton set a new world record in the decathlon as he qualified for Team USA.