Clay's riveting run through the decathlon the past two days made the Castle High graduate Hawai'i's first individual Olympic medalist since Kevin Asano won silver in judo in 1988. Clay's point total of 8,820 was the third highest ever by an American, 73 behind gold medalist Roman Sebrle and 27 off the Olympic record Sebrle shattered.

The drama unfolded for much of Clay's family around a computer 31 stories above the Pacific Ocean. The final hours yesterday found Clay's family sharing his dream by long-distance, and loving every second of it:

7 a.m.

A table with a laptop computer sits by a billion-dollar view on the 31st floor of a Waikiki hotel. The scenery is spectacular but, for two days anyway, all eyes are on the computer in the suite of Sarah Clay and her parents, Bob and Pam Smith.

Sarah huddles over the Internet to follow husband Bryan's quest for an Olympic medal.

The Web site nbcolympics.com gets results the quickest. Audio from eurosport.com drones in the background as a British announcer describes Olympic track and field events for an overseas TV audience. On a third window, Sarah calculates complicated decathlon numbers.

Sarah bangs the refresh button so much, her mother asks if she is developing callouses. It is not perfect, but it sure beats waiting for prime time.

In a Waikiki hotel room, Sarah Clay talks on her cell phone to her husband, Bryan, moments after he was named the silver medal winner in the decathlon. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

It is the difference between Bryan Clay's total after eight events, and that of leader Dmitriy Karpov of Kazakhstan. Sebrle, the only person to score more than 9,000 points in a decathlon, is in between.

Tom Pappas, America's best hope for a decathlon medal as recently as two months ago, is out of the competition after injuring his ankle in pole vaulting. In a vivid example of the rare bonds that exist between decathletes, Pappas asks Clay if he could have his personal trainer, Mililani High graduate Kalan Cavasoz, tape him to try to get back in the competition. But even Cavasoz can't bring Pappas back.

A muted TV plays in the corner. Identical clips of Clay from the first day run across the screen hourly. They are often followed by a Chiroplan commercial featuring Clay. It was produced months ago, but just starting to air.

Each time, the family turns up the sound. "There he is," Sarah says. "I've seen this 100 times. I don't care."

On the eurosport.com audio, the British accent describes Clay's second javelin toss as "over 66 meters for sure ... the coach likes it."

Bryan Clay celebrates with his grandmother Kay Ishimoto at the Olympic Games in Athens. His uncle Gary Ishimoto is at left. Clay's point total of 8,820 was the third highest ever by an American. Steve Levin • Gannett News Service

"He's got one more," Sarah says. "One even bigger."

Cell phones are all over the room, ringing repeatedly and distinctively. Every conversation ends with "Keep praying."

Listening to the audio is the only live "visual" Clay's family has. It can be unnerving. There is a subtle European bias and the day before, the British accent described Clay as making a "disastrous mistake" in the 110-meter hurdles and "grabbing his knee."

Clay's extended family envisioned him lying on the track, writhing in pain. The room went silent and everyone was on the verge of tears. Turns out, he crashed into the eighth hurdle but still finished in 14.13 — just off his personal best.

The column on the computer blinks to new life. Clay's third throw is the best of his life. He finishes second to Sebrle in javelin. Both climb over Karpov, who is notoriously poor — by decathlon standards — in javelin.

Sarah Clay, right, is comforted by her mother-in-law Michele Vandenberg as she says a prayer for husband Bryan. Joyce Hee, wife of Bryan Clay's high school coach Martin Hee, sits in back. They prayed that God would give the wings to the Hawai'i contender. Sarah Clay gets a hug from mother-in-law Michele Vandenberg moments after husband and son Bryan Clay was named the winner of the silver medal in the decathlon at the Summer Olympics. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

"That's very big indeed," the audio confirms. "This is fabulous stuff from Bryan Clay. Barring a disaster, he's going to get a medal."

The family cringes at the familiar term "disaster."

"Don't use that word again," Sarah warns the invisible audio.

8 a.m.

Hee and Sarah start crunching numbers for the final event, the 1,500 meters, which is Clay's weakest. Hee describes decathlon in terms of golf.

"If you par every hole, you know your score," Hee says. "You've got to eagle a couple holes to win."

During the break between events all the cell phones are in use by all the people in the room wearing "Clay Ohana" shirts. "Pray for us," the Smiths and Vanderbergs and Clays say.

Sarah wonders if she can "watch" the 1,500. Her mother admits she can't: "I'll be in the bedroom on my knees."

"My theory," Michele announces, "is that Bryan is saving everything for the 1,500."

She laughs and looks at Hee. "When did he ever do that, Coach?"

Clay, at 5 feet 11 and 174 pounds, is too small, by decathlete standards, to "save" himself for anything. Every event receives ultimate effort. When he was a Castle High senior, Clay took third in the state track championship by himself, setting state meet records in four events.

Martin Hee predicted then that Clay would go to the Olympics. Now, he believes that Clay will be at his peak for the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Joyce Hee was his second mother in high school, kept him in class and kept crunching his numbers, manually. Martin served as coach and co-conspirator for the Olympic dream.

9 a.m.

Bryan Clay struts his stuff around the track after yesterday's announcement. Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic won the gold. Associated press

An hour from the final event allows time to decompress after two all-but sleepless days. Michele Vandenberg hears that Sebrle's best 1,500 time is nearly 20 seconds better than her son's.

"We need a miracle from God," she says.

How fast does Clay have to run?

"He has to run fast," Tom Smith says, grinning, reminding everyone the decathletes are now on their 13th hour of their second brutal day.

"Never underestimate that boy," Vandenberg says. "Every time this boy is down ... "

Sarah comes back with news relayed from Kevin Reid, Clay's coach in Athens. Clay must beat Sebrle by 10 seconds to win the gold. Karpov must beat Clay by 18 seconds to claim silver.

10 a.m.

One by one, the extended family gathers around the computer, unconsciously moving closer to each other until they are one big shaking knot of humanity — with one exception. Pam Smith is in the bedroom, praying.

The family also prays, silently and individually, as it listens to the finish of the 1,500 on audio.

"I was just praying to God to give him wings to get through this," Sarah said. "And he did."

Clay never lets Sebrle's shoulder stray from his stride. The top three finish within 3 1/2 seconds of each other. The British accent calls Clay the silver medalist.

There is silence. Then the screams and cheers.

11 a.m.

Sarah Clay gets a hug from mother-in-law Michele Vandenberg moments after husband and son Bryan Clay was named the winner of the silver medal in the decathlon at the Summer Olympics. Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser

Sarah Clay breaks down the moment she hears his voice. "We couldn't be more proud," she tells her husband.

When his mother touches the phone, her tears tumble. "Thanks for doing such a good job for Hawai'i, for all of us," Vandenberg says.

Clay's biological father Greg made the trip to Athens with his new wife and a few relatives from Hawai'i and Japan. Now, Bryan asks for "dad" Michael Vandenberg, who speaks in halting phrases as he tries to compose himself.

Clay asks for both the Hees, who are no longer silent and stoic. Both struggle to speak.

"You did Hawai'i proud," Martin Hee tells Bryan. "And the United States."

Long after, Hee is still in shock.

"A kid from Kane'ohe," he says softly. "It's amazing."