Denise and I are ready to do the double

13 April 2012

Went down the training track here in Edmonton yesterday and there they all were, the blokes who stand between me and decathlon gold in the World Championships.

Four days to go and all I want to do is get out there and unleash hell, but for the moment it's the phoney war and I have to put up with them sitting there and analysing my block sessions with stoney faces.

I went over to Thomas Dvorak, the reigning champ, and asked him how things were going. "Ooo, too many problems," he says with a sigh and I go: "Nah, don't believe you. If you were telling the truth, you'd have taken off your shades and looked me in the eye."

So he takes off his glasses and says: "Ooo, too many problems." And I tell him: "Sorry mate, still don't believe you." These Czech blokes are good at sounding downbeat.

I only see them once a year - him and Roman Sebrle, decathlon's first 9,000 point man - and I'm still a bit of a mystery to them. They do worry about me and so they should.

I really hate arrogant and cocky people but what I've seen of myself this year, I really can't believe anything other than that I'm going to be a big threat to them and Erki Nool, the Olympic champion, and I've a sneaking feeling that because I want to win so badly, I ain't going to be happy if I come out with a silver here.

You see, I've dreamt about it so many times. Come next Tuesday - and I really hope this isn't fantasy - I believe Britain could be boasting the world's best all-round male and female athletes.

On Saturday, Denise Lewis starts her bid for the one title she hasn't won in the heptathlon and on Monday it's my turn. I honestly think we can do the double.

It's funny but I actually have more faith in Denise than I have in me. Some people have been saying Eunice Barber, France's reigning champion, has her measure and that after winning the Olympics, Lewis has got nothing to prove and might have lost motivation. No chance.

I may be biased but in my book Denise is the best female athlete on earth, better even than Barber.

Even if she's had a difficult summer, I believe she's that good a competitor that it doesn't matter if she's been, say, jumping crap in the high jump - like she did at the AAAs - because when it really matters, and whatever shape she's in, she can be counted on to produce. I've been watching her in training and she's getting better with every session.

If she wins this weekend, hopefully it will give me the inspiration to think: "If she can do it, I can."

After her event's over, I know she'll be supporting me as she always does. Usually, she'll find me during the two days when I'm eating or having phsyio and offer some words of encouragement, even if it's on the lines of: "Come on Macey, get your ass in gear."

She does worry about me during my competition, a bit like a mother hen. Last year during my Olympic competition, she came up and asked me: "Have you eaten properly?"

"Yeah, I've just had a Mars," I replied, to which she just sighed disapprovingly: "Oh, Macey."

Mind you, she also came up to break the news to me that Erki Nool was out of medal contention after three fouls in the discus - which would have been great if she'd actually got her facts right. Good old Denise.

But if there's one thing I pride myself on, it's that I think I share Denise's quality of never giving up and always seeming to be able to raise my game when the championships come around. Because of my recent hamstring injury, I figure that I may not be in quite such good running shape as I have been, but I really believe my throws could be awesome.

I can't quite put my finger on why but there is definitely a different, more low-key feel to this year's Championships compared to the Olympics. Yet we've got superb talent in this British team and, though not everything will go right at every championships, I sense we could do really well here. And if hunger has anything to do with it, don't worry on that score. I'm still famished and I think Denise is too.

Denise and I are ready to do the double

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