Clay Is Solid as a Rock in Decathlon Victory

Jacob Ezra Clay, born six weeks ago at Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora, is too young to understand that his father, Bryan, is the world’s best athlete.

Someday, Jacob will learn about the two rainy days at Helsinki’s Olympic Stadium during which Bryan ran, jumped and threw better than anyone else has this year. He’ll hear that Bryan’s feet barely touched the ground on Wednesday while finishing the 1,500-meter run and completing his quest to win the world decathlon championship after two failed efforts.

“I’ve been dreaming about this since I was 8 years old,” said Clay, the Athens Olympic decathlon runner-up. “I’m glad my dreams are starting to come true.”

Clay, who graduated from Azusa Pacific in 2002 and coaches there, routed the man who had surpassed him at Athens, Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic -- 8,732 points to 8,521. Clay credited his wife, son and coaches for inspiring and guiding him toward personal-best totals in the shotput, 400 and javelin.

“When you get that kind of support, you can’t let people down,” said Clay, who helped deliver his 8-pound, one-ounce son.

Clay wasn’t the only U.S. athlete who picked up a gold medal, and several others moved closer to their event finals.

In perhaps the biggest surprise, 19-year-old Tianna Madison of Knoxville, Tenn., won the women’s long jump with a personal-best leap of 22 feet, 7 1/4 inches, easily outdistancing Tatyana Kotova of Russia (22-3 1/2 ) and Eunice Barber of France (22-2 1/4 ). Madison finished second at the U.S. championships but was second to no one on Wednesday despite being the youngest in the 12-woman field.

“I knew it was going to happen. I just didn’t know which year,” she said.

Sanya Richards of Austin, Texas, won a silver medal in the women’s 400 after leading most of the way before yielding to Olympic gold medalist Tonique Williams-Darling of the Bahamas. “I ran out of gas a little bit,” Richards said.

Williams-Darling ran a season-best 49.55, with Richards at 49.74 and Ana Guevara of Mexico at 49.81. DeeDee Trotter of the U.S. was fifth, in 51.14, and Monique Henderson, who won the NCAA title for UCLA in June, was seventh in 51.77.

“I’m glad I got over here and got the experience,” Henderson said. “I think this meet was a good way to end the year.”

Alan Webb, competing in his first world championships 1,500-meter final, charged into the lead at 800 meters but couldn’t hold on. Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain won in 3:37.88 and Webb faded to ninth, in 3:41.04. “They were too fresh and could cover the move,” Webb said. “I’ve got to be strong enough to last, and I’m not strong enough yet.”

Tyson Gay of Lexington, Ky., ran the fastest 200-meter times in the quarterfinal (20.27) and semifinal (20.64), leading a four-man U.S. contingent to tonight’s final. John Capel (20.78 and 20.45), Wallace Spearmon, Jr. (20.91 and 20.49) and 100-meter champion Justin Gatlin (20.94 and 20.47) also advanced. “Hopefully Americans can sweep it, and I’m the one with the broom,” said Capel, the defending world champion.

In the first round of the women’s 200, Allyson Felix of Los Angeles finished second in her heat to Yulia Gushchina of Russia, 22.53 to 22.68. Rachelle Boone-Smith (23.78) and LaTasha Colander of the U.S. (23.89) qualified for today’s semifinal. “I’m ready to get a medal,” Colander said.

Athens Olympic champion Joanna Hayes of Los Angeles qualified for today’s 100-meter hurdles final with the second-best semifinal time. Her 12.76 trailed only Jamaica’s Brigitte Foster-Hylton’s 12.65. Her training partner, Michelle Perry, also advanced by running 12.86, but Ginnie Powell of USC, the Pacific 10 Conference and NCAA champion, was eliminated after running 13.02.

“It was a good experience,” said Powell, who will return for her senior year on Aug. 22. “I remember watching this meet on TV two years ago and thinking to myself that this is where I want to be, and that my day will come. This was a dream come true.”

In the first round of the men’s 110-meter hurdles, four-time world champion Allen Johnson fought a nasty headwind to finish second in his heat in 13.92 and move on to today’s semifinal. So did Terrence Trammell, Dominique Arnold and Joel Brown. Athens gold medalist Xiang Liu of China led all qualifiers at 13.73. “I felt like I was about to go backward,” Johnson said of the gusty winds.

Olympic 400-meter gold medalist Jeremy Wariner ran his semifinal heat in 45.65 and moved on to Friday’s final. Darold Williamson (45.65) and Andrew Rock (45.78) also advanced. And in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, Sandra Glover was the top U.S. qualifier at 55.31. Lashinda Demus (56.63) and Shauna Smith (58.33) also qualified for today’s semifinals.

Shawn Crawford withdrew from the 400-meter relay pool because of a foot injury, the same reason he pulled out of the 200.