BEIJING • Jason Lezak outreaching Alain Bernard was a sweet sight, probably the most amazing comeback I’ve ever seen with my own eyes.

Usain Bolt said he was going to take it “to the world,” and he did. For a fitness nut, watching him run the 100, 200 and the 400-meter relay was amazing.

There was a lot of attention placed on beach volleyball, especially the women’s attire. Forgetting about that for a moment, I was amazed with Misty May-Treanor. If she’s not the best female beach volleyball player in the world, I wonder who is. There she is, all of 5 feet, 9 inches, maybe a bit taller. But she is able to get off the ground with amazing explosion. Folks that’s an unstable surface she’s jumping off of, yet she’s consistently able to reach heights that allow her to do whatever she wants while she’s in the air.

Amazing.

But the biggest thing I’ll take from here is the look of exhaustion from decathlete Bryan Clay.

Loved it.

Other sports show raucous celebration after victory.

There’s jumping around. Crying. Yelling. Dancing. Water polo coaches even jumped in the pool – fully clothed.

Nothing, at least nothing for me, matched Clay.

Clay won the decathlon, the event that covers 10 disciplines in two days: 100 meters, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400, 110 high hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500.

Finish all of those better than the competition and stake claim to the “World’s Greatest Athlete” title for the next four years.

Clay was jogging slowly enough by the time he crossed the finish line that a toddler would’ve been moving faster. A couple of steps on the other side of the finish line, and Clay fell to his knees and rolled over to his back.

That was hurt and exhaustion.

Clay finished first or second in five of the 10 events and was third in two others. Clay was 23rd out of 26 competitors in the 1,500, the last event of the two-day decathlon.

But the 1,500 was a formality by the time it came around. Clay had already built up a sizeable lead. All he had to do was finish.

Maybe it’s the grunt of a football player in me, but Clay’s achievement reminds me of a great Vince Lombardi quote: “I firmly believe that any man’s finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle – victorious.”

The Olympics never were and didn’t get any better than that moment.-Columnist Milo Bryant can be reached at 636-0252 or milo.bryant@gazettedev.gazette.com. Check out Milo’s blog, The Extra Milo, at milobryant.blogspot.com

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