The 25-year-old Castle High alum won the decathlon at the 10th World Championships of Track and Field yesterday, outclassing 24 rivals and overcoming horrendous weather conditions to set three all-time event bests and win the world title by the largest margin in 14 years.

"I've been dreaming about this since I was a little kid, since I was eight years old. I'm just glad these dreams are starting to come true," said Clay, an undersized — for a decathlete — but overachieving 5-foot-11, 185-pound Azusa Pacific graduate.

"Yesterday and today, there was no point where you could let your guard down," he said. "It was a mental battle the entire time."

Winning the battle brought a gold medal and a $60,000 check that will help Clay and wife, Sarah, pay the bills for a household that now includes six-week-old Jacob Ezra.

Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, the reigning Olympic champion and only man ever to score more than 9,000 points in this 10-event struggle of mind, muscle and macho-dom, was expected to challenge for the gold. Instead, Clay broke free early into the second-day program, beat Sebrle in four straight events and won going away.

"I mean, some of the things that Bryan can do are just amazing," said Azusa Pacific head coach Kevin Reid. "He's been blessed with just amazing talent, and he's determined to be the best he can be."

Clay amassed 8,732 points to Sebrle's 8,521, but numbers cannot begin to tell the story. Clay conquered the rain, wind and cold, as well as a field of competitors from around the world, to become the first Hawai'i athlete to win a world track title.

"Bryan was awesome," marveled Dan O'Brien, the former world record-holder and 1996 Olympic champion. "He controlled everything."

Clay now joins one of the most exclusive clubs in all of sport, taking his place alongside such fabled USA decathlon kings as Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Milt Campbell, Rafer Johnson, Bill Toomey, Bruce Jenner and O'Brien in an event generally recognized as determining the world's No. 1 athlete.

Clay wasted no time building on his slender 14-point lead accumulated in Tuesday's program, blazing out of the blocks to a 14.43-second victory in yesterday morning's 110-meter high hurdles. Sebrle, meanwhile, struggled to a 14.71 finish.

But it was the discus event that really set Clay apart.

Clay, who set a world record in the decathlon discus at the USA Track and Field Nationals in June, reached 169 feet, 10 inches on his first throw, then improved to 176-1 on his second. He fouled on his third attempt.

Sebrle's opening throw was a weak 153-8 and he fouled in his final two attempts. For the first time, there was a look of frustration on his face.

Now, Clay's lead was up to 191 points, 6,394 to 6,203.

"He may be small, but he's very, very strong," Reid said. "Combine that with a sprinter's speed and quickness and the result is he can make those big throws."

Sebrle, normally an outstanding pole vaulter, couldn't match Clay in that event, either. The Czech bowed out at 15-9, while Clay cleared 16-0 3/4 before missing three attempts at 16-4.

Then, it was on to the javelin, another of Clay's fortes, and he didn't disappoint. His first throw landed 231 feet away, and he followed with 236-3. Both were personal bests (following earlier career bests in the 400 and shot put), and set the stage for the concluding 1,500-meter run.

With a commanding 356-point lead on Sebrle — 8,194 to 7,838 — Clay needed only to run a reasonable race to wrap up the title. He did just that, and though his 5:03.77 ranked him 17th out of 17 finishers, the cheers rang down from the rain-soaked fans as Clay crossed the finish line.

"In the conditions we had over the past two days, he scored over 8,700 points, just off what he did last year in Athens under almost perfect conditions," Reid said. "We'll just keep working ... and, yeah, a 9,000-point score will come."

Clay has risen to the top with little American media attention, but says he doesn't miss the recognition. "I'm one of those guys who likes to come out, do my job, go home and be with my family," he said.