Bryan Clay Bio - Biography

Name Bryan Clay
Height 5' 11"
Naionality United States
Date of Birth January 3, 1980
Place of Birth Austin, Texas, United States
Famous for
Brian Clay, born in 1980 in Austin, Texas and raised in Hawaii, is a World Champion decathlete. His mother is Japanese and his father is African-American. Brian Clay is married to Sarah Smith, whom he met at the Azusa Pacific University, and they have two young children. He is a devout Christian and has an incomparable work ethic, a commitment to excellence, and an unwavering integrity.


Brian Clay graduated from James B. Castle High School in Kaneohe, Hawaii in 1998. He participated in track and field events during high school, where he was coached by Dacre Bowen and Martin Hee. He then went to the Azusa Pacific University in Southern California, where he competed in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and was coached by Kevin Reid.


Brian Clay had an impressive start to his athletic career in 1999 when he became the USA Junior Champion and Pan American Junior Champion. His winning streak continued and he went on to win the NAIA title in 2000 and the U.S. Championship two years later. Brian Clay proved his skills in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece by winning a silver medal, earning him the name “Hawaii’s Hero” from the media. He proceeded to bag the silver in Heptathlon at the 2004 World Indoor Championships held in Budapest. Brian Clay bettered his performance at the 2005 World Championships in Helsinki, where he won the decathlon event. He also finished as the runner-up at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow, adding one more silver to his previous collection of medals.


In 2008 Brian Clay won the Heptathlon title at the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAFF) World Indoor Championships held in Valencia. In 2008 he set an Olympic Trials record by scoring 8,832 points en route to clinching the championship. His performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics is certainly the best so far in his career. Brian Clay bagged a gold medal in the Decathlon event with 8791 points to earn the ‘World’s Greatest Athlete’ title. His victory margin of 240 points in the Olympics is the largest since 1972.

Ranked #1 in the world, Brian Clay has the unique ability to combine speed with throwing and technical events, making him one of the rare athletes. Usually decathletes excel in just one or two events, but Brian Clay is exceptional across the board.

Brian Clay is a true Hawaiian, laid back and high-spirited with a great sense of humor. A hero in his homeland, he aspires to make a difference in the world and inspire many people, especially the youth. As a stepping stone to his aspiration Brian Clay has established the Bryan Clay Foundation with the motto "Building Champions, Changing Lives." Through this foundation, he aims to provide an opportunity for underprivileged Hawaiian students to change their lives and futures through scholarships. It also provides high school physical education departments with equipment and improved facilities.

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