Print
Email
Share

'World's greatest athlete' calls Seattle his second home

'World's greatest athlete' calls Seattle his second home

Credit: AP

Bryan Clay celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Decathlon at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

by ALLEN SCHAUFFLER / KING 5 News

Bio | Email | Follow: @schauffKING5 | Follow: @schauffKING5

KING5.com

Posted on January 31, 2011 at 6:23 PM

Updated Monday, Apr 2 at 12:13 PM

SEATTLE -- It's the Olympic event of Jim Thorpe, Bruce Jenner and Rafer Johnson.

Add Bryan Clay to that list -- America's latest superstar in the decathlon and a track world rockstar, who doesn't act like a rockstar.

If you ever jog, walk or ride around Seattle's Green Lake, you might have seen him, probably out for a run with his wife, Sarah.

Many people we talked to who frequent the lake hadn't heard of Bryan – and also didn't know he won the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the Decathlon and a silver medal in the same event at the 2004 Games in Athens. It's ten track and field events in two days. The winner claims the unofficial title of world's greatest athlete.

He may not be a household name in Seattle, yet, but he's been on a Wheaties box and people in international circles know the name.

Bryan calls it the best of both worlds.

"I like being able to go to track meets and have everybody know who I am when I'm at a track meet and like being able to come home and have my privacy," said Bryan.

He was raised in Hawaii and now lives in Southern California, but he and Sarah have three kids and consider Seattle a home away from home.

"My in-laws live right up the road here on Phinney Ridge, so we're down here at Greenlake jogging all the time. We're at the lower woodland track doing track workouts and things like that," said Bryan.

He's hoping to qualify for the London Olympics, with his eye on a world record and an unprecedented achievement.

"If I can make that Olympic team and win another medal, then I'll be the only person the only decathlete in history to win an Olympic medals at three different Olympics," he said.

Which he matter-of-factly admits would at least put his name in the discussion about who's the world's greatest athlete of all time -- who occasionally jogs Greenlake just like you do.

But despite his athletic goals, Bryan says his top two priorities in life are his family and his Christian faith. He credits both with helping him get where he is.

Print
Email
Share
 

To add a comment, please register or login.

1000 characters remaining

Submit

We welcome your comments on this story's topic. Off-topic comments, personal attacks, and inappropriate language may be flagged and removed, and comment privileges blocked, per our Terms of Service. Thanks for keeping the comments space respectful.

Privacy Policy

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

Comments: Displaying 1 - 1 of 1

fingerpick said on January 31, 2011 at 8:04 PM

Finally a world class athlete that has some class. I'll be rooting for you Bryan, too bad some of the other so called elite athletes in professional sports don't take a page from your book

59801091
Flag this comment