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| Bryan Clay has set personal bests in all 10 decathlon events in the past 18 months. He had a breakthrough performance in winning the Olympic Trials.
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Legendary status greets its Olympic champions before the gold medal. In America, Jim Thorpe, Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson, Bruce Jenner and Dan O'Brien are folk heroes. Their fame lasted far beyond that final 1,500-meter run.
And, for all that is at stake when Hawai'i's Bryan Clay takes on the world in Athens, his sport remains one of the most affable in athletics. Grinding through 12-hour days together creates a brotherly bond that rarely exists in other world-class events.
Decathletes can love and hate their sport simultaneously.
"The decathlon is such a difficult event to coach," said Castle High School's Martin Hee, who coached Clay in his first. "People don't even want to run it because it's crazy."
Rafer Johnson echoed those thoughts. "The whole decathlon is ridiculous," he said before holding on for the gold in 1960, "but the 1,500 meters is insanity."
Particularly after warming up with the 100-meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400-meter run, 110-meter hurdles, discus throw, pole vault and javelin throw. The first five events will be Aug. 23 in Athens, and the final five Aug. 24. The 1,500 is scheduled to start at 11:05 p.m. Athens time (10:05 a.m. Hawai'i time).
| Decathletes in history
BRYAN CLAY (U.S.)
TOM PAPPAS (U.S.)
PAUL TEREK (U.S.)
ROMAN SEBRLE (Czech Republic)
ERKI NOOL (Estonia)
DAN O'BRIEN (U.S.)
DALEY THOMPSON (Great Britain)
BRUCE JENNER (U.S.)
RAFER JOHNSON (U.S.)
BOB MATHIAS (U.S.)
JIM THORPE (U.S.)
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Johnson says when he came off the track in Rome, he finally, truly knew "how difficult the decathlon was — and I didn't ever want do it again."
Instead, he would go on to more fame in acting, sportscasting and politics. Johnson was walking with Robert F. Kennedy through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968, when RFK was shot and killed. In 1984, Johnson lit the Olympic torch to begin the Los Angeles Games.
A whole new world is out there for the 2004 decathlon gold medalist. The currently accepted definition of his exploit is "world's greatest all-around athlete," a refined version of the " world's greatest athlete" title Sweden's King Gustav V bestowed on Thorpe in 1912.
The favorites at this year's Games are Czech soldier Roman Sebrle, the only decathlete to score more than 9,000 points, Pappas, the first to hold World Outdoor and Indoor Championships in the same year (2003), and Clay, the sport's smallest medal contender.
He set four personal bests in a breathtaking Trials performance that was his breakthrough national victory, and first decathlon competition of the year.
Johnson called it a "great performance in the toughest competition on planet earth." Kevin Reid, Clay's coach, believes it was just a glimpse of something much more.
"Now, it's a matter of going to the Games and picking up the points we left hanging out there," Reid said. "There's a lot more there in the long jump and high jump. There is definitely a lot of excitement."
Clay, 24, has set all his personal bests in the last 18 months, all but two (1,500 and 400) this year. He too, feels he left "a lot of points" out in the 100-degree Sacramento heat.
The first day, he ran the 100 into a headwind and was "tentative" in the next few events after tweaking his hamstring.
"We were not real far away from saying I was done," Clay recalled. "I looked at my coaches and gave them the sign I was done. They couldn't believe it. I sat down awhile, started to jog and made do with what I got."
| Decathlon predictions
Associated Press Gold: Roman Sebrle, Czech Republic USA Today Gold: Tom Pappas, United States |
"It wasn't so much that everything went right at the Trials," Clay said. "It's just that I was consistent. I had 10 solid events. I had some disappointments, but that's the decathlon. You never have 10 great events. You go out and do your thing and whatever your score is, that's what your score is."
According to Reid, it is also crucial not to "over-do" in any one area during the 12-hour days, and never to have a bad event.
Pappas, the overwhelming American favorite going into the Trials, is 3 years older, six inches taller and 36 pounds heavier than Clay. An offbeat athletic background — Pappas' grandfather was a pro wrestler and his father set a world land speed record — along with his Greek heritage have made him a TV star before the Games begin.
Sebrle, 29, is the top-ranked decathlete in the world and finished second to Estonia's Erki Nool at the 2000 Games.
Nool, 34, is defending his title in his fourth Olympics, but has not bettered his point total in three years. Kazakhstan's Dmitri Karpov, a year younger than Clay, is widely regarded as the wild card.
Clay can beat them all.
"He's got the God-given talent," Reid said. "The power he can create physically is just amazing. He has a unique combination — a short, fast sprinter who can also throw very, very well."
But Clay can also be beat. Anyone can in the decathlon. The only people that understand it are those who do it.
They won't even take a stab at trying to detail what it involves.
"You just pray and have people pray for you," Clay said. "And hope it's your day."