EUGENE, Oregon (AFP) - World champion Bernard Lagat, hungry for the Olympic gold that has twice eluded him, booked a trip to Beijing by winning the 5,000-meter title Monday at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.

Kenyan-born Lagat, the world 1,500 and 5,000 champion seeking another golden double at Beijing, grabbed the lead in the final turn and pulled away to win easily in 13mins, 27.47secs with Matt Tegenkamp second in 13:29.68.

"This is going to be so exciting for me," Lagat said. "In 2004 I wanted to win really bad but this time I think there is even more motivation for me."

Lagat took 1,500 Olympic bronze in 2000 at Sydney and silver in 2004 at Athens while running for Kenya but will carry his greatest medal hunger yet to China in August as an American.

"This is special. Olympics is the big one. It's the dream," Lagat said. "I'm so happy to be part of Team USA. It's going to be the same for me, the hunger I had in 2004. It's going to take that hunger again to get gold in Beijing."

Lagat hopes to win another chance at 1,500 Olympic gold on Sunday in the meet's final race.

"This is a dream come true. I'm so excited," Lagat said. "I always wanted to run in the Olympics for the third time. I'm going to celebrate this now but come back and try to make the team again Sunday."

Brian Clay, the 2004 Olympic decathlon runner-up and 2005 world champion, produced the greatest performance in the world since 2004 to win another chance for gold with a career-best 8,832 points, third on the US all-time list.

And he did it after poor showings Sunday in the long jump and shot put.

"There's tons of room for improvement," Clay said. "This just goes to show everybody mentally I am a very tough competitor."

Clay won the discus with a throw of 52.74m and the javelin with a toss of 70.55m Monday to beat Trey Hardee by 298 points with Tom Pappas third on 8,511.

"We're sending the best decathlon team we've sent in a long time," Clay said. "I expect we will come back with a couple of medals."

Clay's effort came one day after Andrei Kravchenko of Belarus set what had been the year's best performance at 8,585 points to win at a Dutch meet.

"I made a decision to make it happen," he said. "I'm happy with my mindset and I want to bring that to Beijing. I just have to get after it every event, stay focused, and do my job. It's about staying consistent."

Pappas, who became the first three-time US Olympic decathlete, was fifth at the 2000 Olympics but the 2003 world champion hurt his left foot in the pole vault at the 2004 Olympics and failed to finish.

"This really the only thing in my career that I feel like is missing, a good Olympics," he said. "Sydney didn't turn out all that well and 2004 was kind of a disaster really. If I could walk away with a medal it would mean everything."

Khadevis Robinson, who had won the past three US 800 titles, was edged by a diving Chris Smith at the line for the last Beijing spot to complete a sweep by local runners led by Nick Symmonds in 1:44.10 and Andy Wheating in 1:45.03.

"I tried to fight for it but I had nothing left. If you don't run well you don't make it. It's that simple," Robinson said. "We both fell and I was hoping anyone was there. If Jesus would've been there I would've grabbed him."

Smith outlunged Robinson at the line as they tumbled to the track. Smith crossed in 1:45.47, .06 ahead of Robinson with Sudan-born Lopez Lomong also just missing out, finishing fifth in 1:45.58.

"I knew I had to go for it or I'd regret it forever," Smith said. "The last five meters I just dove."

Reigning Olympic and world champion Jeremy Wariner and women's favorite Sanya Richards advanced to the 400 finals on Thursday, when the meet resumes after two rest days.

Wariner captured his heat in 44.66 seconds, a tenth of a second ahead of LaShawn Merritt to lead all finalists in a likely preview of a finals showdown.

Jamaican-born Richards, unbeaten at 400 for two years until placing fourth at last year's US meet and missing the world championships, won her semi-final heat in 50.75, relaxing well before the finish line to qualify second-fastest.

Shalane Flanagan, who won the 10,000 Friday to book her trip to Beijing, reached next Friday's 5,000 final by winning her semi-final heat in 15:35.86.

Hazel Clark reached her third Olympics, winning the women's 800 in 1:59.82. Kameisha Bennett finished third in 2:01.20 but had not met the Olympic "A" qualifying standard, so the third and final Beijing berth went to Nicole Teter, fourth in 2:01.30.