ASSOCIATED PRESS Bryan Clay placed second in the shot put yesterday at the World Athletics Championships.

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Hawaii’s Clay leads
track and field event

The Castle alumnus is in first
in the world championships
after yesterday's decathlon

HELSINKI, Finland » Heavy rains yesterday put a damper on the World Track & Field Championships, but couldn't stop Hawaii's Bryan Clay from doing what he does best.

Clay, the 2004 Olympic Games silver medalist, is first in the men's decathlon after five events with 4,527 points.

Olympic champion and world record holder Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic is second in the star-studded field with 4,513 points, followed by Kristjan Rahnu of Estonia at 4,404 and Aleksandr Pogorelov of Russia at 4,344.

Attila Zsivoczky of Hungary rounds out the top five with 4,330 points.

Clay, a 1998 graduate of Castle High School who now resides in Glendora, Calif., opened the decathlon competition by winning a wind-aided 100-meter dash with a time of 10.43 seconds. Rahnu was second at 10.59.

In the long jump competition, Clay finished behind Sebrle and Jaako Ojaniemi of Finland with a leap of 24 feet, 9 inches. In the next event, the shot put, Clay placed second behind Sebrle with a throw of 53 feet, 3 1/4.

The 5-foot-11 Clay lost ground in the high jump when he finished eighth in his group with a leap of 6-634. But it was good enough for 803 points.

Clay, the 2005 USA Outdoor champion, finished yesterday's competition in the 400 meters with a time of 47.78. His time was the second best and worth 920 points.

The two-day decathlon wraps up today with the 110 meters, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter run.