Owens, though, made the best of the situation, focusing on his studies and training with the OSU track team under coach Larry Snyder. Snyder, who thought Owens' race starts were too slow, made the athlete repeatedly practice starts that had him crouching tightly at the starting line. He also altered Owens' long-jump style, teaching him to move his legs in mid-air.
In general, a low platelet count occurs because: 1  The body's bone marrow doesn't make enough platelets. 2  The bone marrow makes enough platelets, but the body destroys them or uses them up. 3  The spleen holds on to too many platelets.
Many factors can cause thrombocytopenia (a low platelet count). The condition can be inherited or acquired. Inherited means your parents pass the gene for the condition to you. Acquired means you aren't born with the condition, but you develop it. Sometimes the cause of thrombocytopenia isn't known. In general, a low platelet count occurs because: 1  The body's bone marrow doesn't make enough platelets.  The bone marrow makes enough platelets, but the body destroys them or uses them up.