The high jump, which is scheduled for tomorrow at the U.S. Olympic Trials, is one of Castle alum Bryan Clay's best events. His best jump was 6 feet, 93Ú4 inches.
Ready to make...
THE LEAPBryan Clay, a Castle alum, hopes
to run (and jump and throw) under
the radar -- and into the Olympics
If Bryan Clay fails to make the U.S. Olympic team, the decathlete from Hawaii won't blame the media. If -- as expected -- he makes it to Athens, he might even thank them ... for ignoring him at the trials.
Big-name track and field athletes like Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones have been in the news for months because of allegations of using illegal performance enhancers. They said their sub-par performances at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif., the past two weeks were caused by undue attention from reporters.
Clay's Rankings
Where Castle alum Bryan Clay's best decathlon performances rank:
USA all-time 7 World all-time 42 World 2003 3
Such focus -- while not good for the sport's image -- has actually been a blessing for the bulk of the competitors, who have been relatively left alone, Clay said. For people like him, the fewer interviews the better at this point.
"Actually, I think it's good in a way that there haven't been distractions for most of us," Clay said in a brief phone conversation yesterday as he prepared for tomorrow's and Saturday's decathlon. "And I haven't paid too much attention to (the performance enhancement controversy). We're all concentrating on our own competitions, and I really couldn't tell you anything about all that. But as far as I know, everything is going well for most of us. People are competing hard and making the team."
Clay has also excelled at the shot put, with a career best of 49 feet, 5 inches. That event is also scheduled to be held tomorrow.
Clay, 24, is ahead of schedule. Until recently, the 1998 Castle High School graduate was considered a possibility for the 2008 team rather than a probability for the 2004 squad. Clay's 8,432 points at the 2003 U.S. Championships is the fourth-best total in the world in the past year, and made him a contender not just to make the Athens team, but to medal, as well.
Clay is strongest in the sprints and jumps. Most of his best events are scheduled for tomorrow, when the 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400 meters are contested. The 110 high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meters are on Saturday.
Clay's Top Marks
Bryan Clay's best in each event of the decathlon:
100 meters 10.39 Long jump 26-5 1/4 Shot put 49-5 High jump 6-93Ú4 400 meters 47.85 110 meter hurdles 13.80 Discus throw 171-10 Pole vault 16-63Ú4 Javelin throw 222.4 1500 meters 4.38.93
At 5-feet-10 and 180 pounds, Clay is small for a decathlete. Most of the world-class competitors are built like NFL quarterbacks, not high school cornerbacks. For example, Dave Johnson, the 1992 Olympic bronze medalist whose Azusa Pacific records Clay broke, competed at 6-feet-2 and 200 pounds.
"Out here, I'm probably the smallest competing. That makes it fun. It's a challenge, and I enjoy it," Clay said yesterday.
Clay is also young for the event. Most of his competition is close to age 30, as the late 20s are considered a decathlete's peak years.
Add the fact that Clay has suffered from asthma in the past -- an ailment he won't take medication for, in fear that he might somehow test positive for a banned substance -- and he is the ultimate underdog. Until you look at his marks; if he were to match his best in every event, he would set a new decathlon record.
In addition to his wife, Sarah, Clay's parents, Michele and Mike Vandenburg from Kaimuki and his high school coach, Martin Hee and his wife, Joyce, are in Sacramento to cheer him on.
"There will be some other people, people from all over the place," said Clay, who was born in Austin, Texas, and moved to Hawaii when he was 5.
And if he does as well as expected, other "people from all over the place" who don't know him will want to learn more about Bryan Clay -- for the right reasons.
