Wheaties honors U.S. Olympians with pictorial cereal boxes

MINNEAPOLIS Following the closing ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wheaties has announced that American gymnast Nastia Liukin and decathlete Bryan Clay will each be honored with their own Wheaties boxes.

Nastia Liukin is the third U.S. women’s gymnast to win all-around and also the third to appear on Wheaties box. Clay is also the third decathlon champion in a row to be honored on the Wheaties box.

Prior to Liukin’s gold medals, U.S. gymnasts Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson were also honored on the box.

The last American to win the gold in decathlon was “World’s Greatest Athlete,” Dan o’Brien in 1996. Clay received the silver medal at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. He later was medaled World Champion in 2005.

“Having your picture on the Wheaties box is something all athletes strive for,” Clay said. “It’s a mark of distinction that says you’ve reached the pinnacle of your career. This is a very special honor for me.”