By T.J. Brinkerhoff
tj@newsroom.byu.edu
Jason Pyrah returned home to less fanfare than some other Olympic athletes did.
Probably because he didn't win a gold medal.
Or any color medal for that matter.
However, the facts are these: Of the 10,000 athletes competing for their share of the 928 medals awarded at the Olympics, only 97 total medals were won by U.S. athletes, according to www.nbcolympics.com.
Pyrah wasn't one of them.
But his finish was something for him to be proud of.
'I set goals for myself all the way leading up to the Olympics and then set short-term goals once again when I got there,' Pyrah said.
'I feel that I did what I set out to do.'
Although a medal is the ultimate objective for an athlete, Pyrah's No. 10 finish in the finals of the 1500-meter race was enough for him to achieve his goals.
'It had been my goal all year to make the Olympic finals,' he said. 'Once that was accomplished, the next big goal was to be the last American standing.'
Which he was.
And according to Pyrah, qualifying for the finals, while two of his teammates did not, may be enough to make the argument that he was the top American runner in the 1500-meter this year.
As a 10-year veteran of the sport, that label would be an accomplishment that may push him to continue running competitively.
Of course, there are circumstances that would have to fall into place for that to happen.
'Things may change, priorities may change,' Pyrah said.
'If I can continue to be successful and can build on what I did this year ... and if the Olympics become such that I could win a medal in Athens, then it may be worth running for another five or six years.'
But according to Pyrah, that would largely depend on other things, including his ability to avoid injury and determine whether or not training will be worth his time and effort.
'I've competed in two Olympic games - one at home and one in a foreign country - and by having done that I am very happy with what I have accomplished,' Pyrah said.
'There is not much more that I could ask for.'
Now that Pyrah has returned home, his focus now is to get through his masters program at BYU.
'The Olympics this summer pushed me back another semester,' Pyrah said.
'It's been three years and you only have a five year window (to complete the program) ... I'd hate to have to have to drag it on that much longer.'