Canvey decathlete Dean Macey today pledged to battle for a bronze medal at next month's Athens Olympics.
After two years of battling against injuries, the 26-year-old's hamstring stood up well enough to earn the Olympic B qualifying score at the weekend multi-event at Hexham.
"Gold and silver may look to be taken in Greece and are probably beyond me after all my injury problems, but the bronze is there for the taking." insisted Macey.
"I'm going to be all out for that - I'm not going just to make up the numbers.
"I reckon there's at least another 200 points in me. I want to come home with something and, even though it's going to be tough, I think there's no reason why I shouldn't get bronze with a little bit of luck.
"If I'm lying in that third spot going into the last event, the 1,500 metres, the others will have to climb over me to stop me getting the bronze medal."
Macey admitted to being delighted at getting through the Hexham action without major hamstring problems.
"I had a few moments here and there when I could feel a bit of a dodgy sensation in my leg," he added. "But there wasn't one single minute when I thought it wasn't going to hold and I was going to have to stop.
"I didn't go all out --there was no point. I just did what needed to be done."
Published Tuesday July 20, 2004
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