EPICANTHUS

Lost in the media madness over his Team USA teammate Michael Phelps’ eight-gold triumph at the 2008 Beijing Olymoics and Jamaican Usain Bolt’s dominance in the sprints, Glendora, Calif.’s Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay, the reigning champion in the grueling decathlon, is virtually unknown in his own country.

Victory in what is considered track-and-field’s toughest event — 10 running, jumping and throwing competitions — once conferred larger-than-life status to guys like Bob Mathias, Rafer Johnson and Bruce Jenner. Not for Clay, son of Japanese American Michelle Ishimoto and African-American Greg Clay, who is competing at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., this weekend. (Update: Clay was forced to scratch from the USATF championships due to a hamstring injury).

Clay was tested by SPARQ to establish his SPARQ Rating across a number of different sports. The test is meant to measure sport-specific athleticism and in the football test Clay recorded a score of 130.40, the highest ever recorded. By comparison, Reggie Bush scored a 93.38. NFL?

But the devoutly Christian Clay is not bitter. “My family and I have everything that we could ever ask for. We’ve got a house, a roof over our head, we have food, we have our cars, my wife gets to stay at home and take care of the kids, our kids are happy. So really, I can’t be mad. I’ve got what I need.”

Listen to Diana Nyad’s NPR feature on Clay and America’s fickle adoration of athletes.

The Score: Track and Field Blues—06/18/09

Clay, whose grandparents, Tsumoru and Kay Ishimoto of Honolulu, cheered him on in Beijing, is proud of his Japanese American heritage.

“Japanese culture and food were a huge part of my life growing up. My mother made sure I knew who I was and where I came from. Our house was always full of grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. We ate ozoni [a traditional Japanese rice soup] on New Year’s Eve. My life was very Japanese.”

Clay was understandably upset about his injury in Eugene, but there was also good news. He’s been nominated for and ESPY Award.

• Clay Resumes 2012 Medal Quest, Meri-Jo Borzilleri, Ultimate Sports
• Bryan Clay’s Official Web Site
• Clay is Gold, Epicanthus
  
• In An Age of Hybrids Decathlete Bryan Clay Is the Ultimate All-American Athlete, 08/20-08, Epicanthus