Hawai'i decathlete Bryan Clay can rest now.

After celebrating the birth of a child in July and winning the World Championships in August, the 1998 Castle High graduate is taking time off from training to come home this month.

It will be the first peek at paradise for his son, Jacob Ezra, born July 1. Clay will make some appearances for the Straub Bone and Joint Center.

He will be back in December for the Honolulu Marathon's Bryan Clay Clinic (Dec. 10 at University of Hawai'i), and also plans to promote his Bryan Clay Foundation, designed to help more Hawai'i kids go to college and beyond through track and field.

As far as competition, Clay is finished for this year.

Over a two-day span in mid-August, Clay blew by the world's best decathlete — Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic — and more than 20 other world-class athletes in horrendous Helsinki weather conditions to win by 211 points — the largest margin in 14 years.

Clay's World Championship title was worth $60,000, but he hasn't signed any new endorsement deals. Martin Hee, Clay's high school coach, says decathlon is "not a showcase-type thing" because there are so few competitions, unlike sprinters and jumpers, who go "every other week" and keep their name in the public eye.

Decathletes are a different breed in many ways. Clay believes they "have a good grasp of competition and what's it's supposed to be like." The bond between the competitors is rare among world-class athletes.

"We go out and everybody is broken and tired and cold and wet. Really, there is no way to do it on your own," he says. "If you had to do it by yourself, it would be the hardest thing in the world. Everyone has figured out that to get through the decathlon, you have to work together."

The closeness extends beyond the two days they huddle together on the track. Clay counts Sebrle among his close friends. When the Olympic gold medalist, and Czech teammate Tomas Dvorak, were investigated for receiving intravenous fluids before the final event in Helsinki, Clay came to their defense.

The Czechs said they took glucose because of safety concerns that their blood-sugar level was "dangerously low." Clay had no problems with their explanation.

"People need to realize the decathlon is very different from other events," Clay said. "It's not about where we're finishing. We take pride in finishing and working hard and doing it the right way. There's a prestige among us where we really feel we do it the right way and as best as we can. I was glad to see their names cleared."

The controversy at the event's end didn't change Clay's "sense of satisfaction" at finally winning a world title. But almost immediately, his focus moved to the future — the world indoors next year and a shot at the decathlon world record at the 2007 Worlds in Osaka.

After that, all thoughts will be on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"Hopefully I can come away with a gold medal," Clay says. "After Beijing I have to see where I am mentally, physically and financially. If I'm OK, maybe I'll try for another Olympics."

Despite Clay's dominating performance at the Worlds, the question remains, is Sebrle, who won gold in Athens, still the best?

Clay, who became the first from Hawai'i to win an Olympic medal in track when he snagged silver last summer, says yes. He points to the sterling career Sebrle has constructed, characterizing it as "maybe the best of all time." The Czech is the only decathlete to score more than 9,000 points.

That is a goal — along with the world heptathlon record, Olympic gold and decathlon's world record — to which Clay aspires.

"I know Roman is the No. 1 guy," Clay says simply. "But I'm not saying I'm not capable of beating him."

He doesn't have to say it anymore. The results at "Hurricane Helsinki" speak for him. There are two targets in the decathlete world now — Sebrle and Clay, who at 5 feet 11 and 185 pounds is the sport's smallest star.

At Helsinki, he won four events, set three personal records and scored 8,732 points — only 88 less than in Athens, run in ideal conditions.

Hee watched the pouring rain, thunder and wind chill the field over the Internet each late night, just like Clay's parents. All were "overwhelmed" at what they saw.

"It was out of this world," Hee said. "He was breaking personal records ... defeating guys twice as big as him. Unbelievable. It was a tremendous showing of perseverance and internal fortitude."

Clay and Sebrle each called the Worlds their toughest meet ever. Clay went on to call it his best mental performance, but admitted he could have been in better shape physically. He set a world decathlon record in the discus with a cracked rib at the U.S. Championships to qualify for Worlds.

"It just let me know in my mind how much more there is in the tank," he said. "I don't know how to say it without sounding cocky, but I know there is more there and I think I can be one of the best decathletes for a few years."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.