Former Hawaii athlete Bryan Clay, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the decathlon, is returning to the Olympic Games.

Clay, a former Castle High and Azusa Pacific star, won the decathlon at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene, Ore., today with a personal-best of 8,832 points. It was also the best mark in the United States in 16 years and the best in the world in four years.

The U.S. record is 8,891 points, set by Dan O'Brien in 1992.

"From the get-go, I said, 'This is what I'm going to do, these are the marks I'm going to put up,"' Clay said. "I don't care if it's headwinds, tailwinds. I don't care how I'm feeling. I'm going to make it happen today, and that's what I did."

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games will begin Aug. 8.

Trey Hardee was second with 8,534 points and Tom Pappas, the 2003 world champion, was third with 8,511.

Clay was outstanding in today's opening events — the 100-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin.

He took third in the hurdles, first in the discus, fourth in the pole vault and first in the javelin.

In the final event of the competition, the 1,500 meters, Clay finished 13th, in a time of 4:50.97.

Bryan Clay's scores in the U.S. Olympic Team decathlon trials

Through 9 events

YESTERDAY

100 meters

10.39 seconds, first place, 1,001 points

Long jump

7.39 meters (24 feet, 3 inches), sixth, 908

Shot put

15.17m (49-9.25), fifth, 800

High jump

2.08m (6-9.75), first (tied), 878

400

48.41, sixth, 889

TODAY

110 hurdles

13.75, third, 1,007

Discus

52.7m (173-0), first, 928

Pole vault

5.0m (16-04.75), fourth, 910

Javelin

70.55m (231-05), first, 898

1,500

4:50.97, 13th, 613