Beijing2008/Brian Clay

Decathlon United States Age: 28

Clay, America's top decathlete, grew up in Hawaii. But his youth was no paradise. His parents divorced, and his mom needed food stamps to help raise him. Clay acted out, getting into fights almost every day, even setting off fireworks in a school bathroom. It took 10 events to set him straight. Clay quickly rose through the decathlon ranks, and followed up his silver medal showing in Athens with a world title a year later. In Beijing he'll go toe to toe, pole vault to pole vault, javelin to javelin with the Czech Republic's outstanding Roman Sebrle, the defending Olympic and world champion. Clay's least favorite decathlon event? It's the No. 10, the 1,500m run. "Ah, you're just completely drained, you're running on fumes, and you have to get everything powered up for one last hurrah," he says. "It's a tough one."

姓名：布莱恩•克雷（Brian Clay）

项目：十项全能

国别：美国

年来：28

克雷，美国头号十项全能选手，出生在夏威夷，并长于斯。然而他的青春时代并非天堂。父母离异，母亲要靠食品券把他养大。克雷很外向，几乎每天都跟别人打架，甚至在学校的洗手间放过烟花。十项全能运动纠正了他的坏毛病。克雷在十项全能运动中的地位迅速上升，雅典奥运会上，他取得了1枚银牌，一年之后，他又取得了世界冠军。北京奥运会上，他将与捷克共和国的悍将，肩负卫冕奥运会和世界冠军使命的罗曼•塞布勒短兵相接，两人的撑杆跳和标枪项目挨在一起。十项全能项目中，克雷最不喜欢的是什么？是第十项，1500米跑。“呵，体力就像耗干了一样，完全没有力气了，但还不得不用尽全力，完成最后一搏。”他说。“这很痛苦。”