Posted on: Friday, August 27, 2004

No quarantine time for Clay's wreath

By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's strict quarantine laws won't keep Olympic silver medalist Bryan Clay from returning to the Islands with a coveted souvenir of the Athens Games.

Neil Reimer of the state Department of Agriculture's Plant Quarantine Branch said Clay, who finished a strong second in the decathlon Tuesday, will be allowed to bring the olive-leaf head wreath he received at the Games, as long as it is inspected.

Some New Zealand medalists destroyed their wreaths because of their island nation's quarantine laws; Australians are turning their wreaths over to agriculture officials for fumigation.

The olive-leaf wreaths were a symbol of peace and honor in the ancient Greek games.

Clay fully intends to bring his wreath back to the United States, no matter what he has to do.

"He said he's not leaving town without it," said his mother, Michele Vandenberg, who spoke to her son yesterday. "He's going to preserve it so he can eventually put it in a frame."

Clay, who now lives in Los Angeles, will return to California before flying to Hawai'i Sept. 3, and it's not clear how he'll do with agriculture inspectors there.

Reimer said if, say, an insect is found, "we would freeze the wreath and then give it back to him."