BEIJING — Hawai'i's Bryan Clay is on top of the world.

Clay, the Castle High graduate from Kane'ohe, led from start to finish to become the first American since 1996 to win the Olympic decathlon gold medal today as the "world's greatest athlete."

Clay is believed to have won the first individual gold by any athlete raised or born and raised in Hawai'i in more than 50 years. Ford Konno won an individual gold medal in swimming in 1952.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to have worked for something for so long, and finally accomplish it, and have my dreams come true," Clay said. "I'm very pleased with my score, of course I'm pleased with the medal and the title that comes with the medal."

Clay, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 world champion, finished the 10-discipline event with 8,791 points, 240 points ahead of his nearest competitor, Andrei Krauchanka of Belarus, who had 8,551. Leonel Suarez of Cuba was third with 8,527 points. Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic, the reigning world and Olympic champion, finished sixth.

The last U.S. gold medalist in the event was Dan O'Brien in Atlanta in 1996. The winner of the grueling Olympic decathlon is traditionally called the "world's greatest athlete."

Clay hopes to defend his title in London, the site of the next Olympic Games.

"I'm hoping to continue to do this through 2012," he said. "I hopefully can get another medal. I don't know if anybody's got three medals at the Olympic Games. That's maybe another goal."

In his three events during Friday's daytime session, Clay was second-fastest in the 110 meter hurdles (13.93 seconds), set an Olympic best in the discus at 53.79 meters, then cleared 5.00 meters in the pole vault, tied for second-best in the competition.

He completed his gold medal run with a season's best 70.97 meters (232-10) for third place in the javelin and a 23rd-place finish in the 1,500 meters in 5:06.59.

Had he ran some 20 seconds faster, he would have challenged for the American record. "He jokes that the other nine events are about accumulating points so he doesn't have to run it fast," said Mike Barnett, one of Clay's coaches. "He absolutely hates it."

Blue sky replaced Thursday morning's downpour and Clay got off to a fast start, just as he did the day before.

"I've been telling people that I'm in the best shape of my life. I really am," Clay said. "I've been training incredibly hard. Training's been going really well. You might not be able to tell by some of the results, but when you take into account everything we've had to go through the last two days, I think I did well."

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist and 2005 world champion won his heat in the 110-meter hurdles in 13.93 seconds, well off his best but still the second-fastest time in the competition.

Then came the discus, where Clay dominated as expected. Even though he is small by decathlete standards at 1.80-meters (5-foot-11), 84 kilograms (185 pounds), the throws are among his best events. He set a personal best in the shot put on Thursday.

Clay led the decathlon since winning the first event (100 meters) in a driving rain Thursday.

He knew his first and best discus attempt was a good one, even as it left his hands. He raised both arms as he watched his throw sail well past the 50-meter line. The throw easily outdistanced the Olympic mark of 51.65 set by Dmitriy Karpov of Kazahkstan in Athens four years ago.

The 91,000-seat Bird's Nest stadium was more than half full through most of the morning even though the only competition fans saw was the start and finish of the 50-kilometer walk and three events in the decathlon.

Clay, who now lives in Glendora, Calif., captured the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Natasha Kai of Kahuku became Hawai'i's first gold medalist of the Beijing Games as a member of the winning U.S. women's soccer team.

There are more medals to come for athletes with Hawai'i ties. The U.S. men's and women's volleyball teams are in gold medal matches this weekend. Kaiser and University of Hawai'i alum Clay Stanley plays for the U.S. men. UH alum Robyn Ah-Mow Santos (McKinley), Heather Bown and Kim Willoughby and Punahou alum Lindsey Berg play for the U.S. women.

Information from the Associated Press, Dustin Dow of Gannett News Service and USA Track and Field were used in this report.