Clay comments on fellow decathlete and friend Jenner

While working on today’s column yesterday, I reached out to Bryan Clay. I wanted to ask the 2008 Olympic decathlon champion who is a product of Castle High School his thoughts about Caitlyn (formerly Bruce) Jenner, who like Clay won the decathlon gold for the U.S. Jenner did it in 1976.

Clay and Jenner have made public appearances together in the past.

Clay responded by text after deadline last night. Here’s his comment:

“I am friends with Bruce and stayed in contact with him regularly,” Clay wrote. “However since all of the recent changes we have lost touch (not by my doing). I can only imagine that things are a bit crazy for he and his family right now. I’ll continue to pray for them and I’m sure we will connect sometime in the future.”

Clay, 35, is one of the greatest athletes in state history — some would put him at the top of the list. He was also world champion in the decathlon in 2005, and won the silver medal at the 2004 Olympics. His bid for a third decathlon medal in 2012 fell short at the U.S. Olympic Trials.