Eaton over the years

Ashton Eaton was born in Portland on Jan. 21, 1988. He moved with his mother to La Pine when he was 2, then to Bend when he was in sixth grade. Eaton was a three-time NCAA decathlon champion for the University of Oregon. He is the world record holder in the decathlon and the indoor heptathlon — and now an Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon.

• May 2006: Wins high school state titles in the 400 meters and long jump for Bend's Mountain View.

• June 2007: Scores 7,155 points to place third in the decathlon at the U.S. junior championships, earning a trip to Brazil for the Pan American Junior Championships.

• Early June 2008: Wins his first NCAA decathlon title for the University of Oregon, in Des Moines, Iowa, scoring 8,055 points.

• Late June 2008: Scores 8,122 points at the U.S. Olympic trials to finish as the highest collegian and fifth overall.

• June 2009: Finishes second in the decathlon at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships to earn a spot in the world championships, shortly after claiming his second NCAA championship in the decathlon.

• August 2009: Finishes 18th at the world championships in Berlin with 8,061 points.

• March 2010: Breaks the heptathlon world record with 6,499 points at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.

• June 2010: Claims his third straight NCAA decathlon title before a home crowd at Eugene's Hayward Field with 8,457 points; he also is awarded the Bowerman Award as the nation's top collegiate track and field athlete.

• February 2011: Breaks his own heptathlon record with 6,568 points at a meet in Tallin, Estonia.

• June 2011: Racks up 8,729 points to win in dominating fashion in his first decathlon as a pro at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene.

• August 2011: Finishes second to U.S. teammate Trey Hardee with 8,505 points at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

• March 2012: Breaks his own world record again in the heptathlon with 6,645 points at the world indoor championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

• June 23, 2012: Breaks the world record in the decathlon with 9,039 points as he wins the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene and qualifies for London.

• August 9, 2012: Wins the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon in the 2012 London Olympic Games.