Bobsleigh: Olympic dream survives injury

By AINSLEY THOMSON

When decathlete Matthew Dallow felt his knee rip from his leg he thought his Olympic dreams were over.

But nine years later, Dallow is about to realise his dream and represent New Zealand at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City as a member of the men's bobsleigh team.

In 1993, Dallow was studying at the University of Arizona on an athletics scholarship.

The 20-year-old had represented New Zealand at rugby for the under-17 team and in 1991 had broken the national junior decathlon record.

His sporting success continued in Tucson, Arizona. In his second year at university he gained All-America status, after finishing in the top eight in the country for the decathlon.

He was on the verge of making the New Zealand Olympic team as a decathlete. But all that changed when he played a game of rugby and suffered the terrible knee injury.

Doctors told him he would probably never be able to walk properly, let alone be an athlete.

"I actually wanted to die," said Dallow. "I hadn't known anything but being an athlete."

Over the next year Dallow learned to walk again, and slowly started other sporting activities.

In 1999, he represented the US in rugby sevens before turning to the sport of bobsleighing.

For the past two years the 29-year-old has trained for three or four hours each day.

On Christmas Eve he learned the hard work had been worth it - he was a member of New Zealand's men's bobsleigh team for the games, which start on February 8.