Dean Macey shouts his Discus away from the circle - Melbourne (© Getty Images)
22 March 2006Melbourne, AustraliaEngland’s decathlete Dean Macey ended his four-year wait for a major championships title tonight when he took the gold medal at the 18th Commonwealth Games at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today.
Macey, the 1999 World Championship silver and 2001 bronze medallist at the Decathlon, battled against injury to win his first major championships title, and produce the highlight of a night which saw England win three of the seven golds on offer, and six medals in all.
It’s a miracle
Macey’s victory came the hard way. Hamstrung by injury since he arrived in Australia, he somehow found the strength to hold off the challenge of Australia’s Jason Dudley and Jamaica’s Maurice Smith in the 1500m after he’d slipped to second place following the Javelin earlier in the day.
His victory means he can finally bury the memories from Manchester four years ago when he was favourite for gold but injured his hamstring two weeks before the Games and could not compete.
“I’m really made up,” said Macey. “It’s a miracle I made it to the start line. The treatment I’ve had has been a miracle, and getting to the finish line is even more of a miracle. I’m lucky, lucky, lucky.”
Smith won the silver and Dudley, who’d been leading before the 1500m, took the bronze.
Injury worries threatened to haunt Macey again
Macey’s overnight lead had been whittled down by Smith who leapt into second place in the morning with two excellent performances in the 110m Hurdles and the discus. Macey eased himself into the day in the 110m hurdles, running a conservative 14.94, good for 857 points.
“I was struggling a little bit,” said Macey. “I tightened up. I’ve been saving the leg which has hurt the other one.”
Smith ran the quickest time, 14.33, and chipped away further at Macey’s lead in the Discus, throwing 50.26m. Macey responded with a season’s best of 46.76 (803) to keep him ahead of the Jamaican by 58 points with three events to go.
Macey recovered ground in the Pole Vault, getting close to his best when he cleared 4.70. “I need that pole vault. Boy, I needed it,” he said. “That’s the highest I’ve jumped since 2001.”
He seemed to have the gold in his grasp at that point. But his injury troubles returned when he hurt his elbow on his first Javelin Throw. His javelin landed at 56.93, more than seven metres short of his best, while Dudley threw a personal best of 69.27 to jump from third to first place.
Macey now trailed by 37 points and started the 1500m knowing he needed to beat Dudley by six seconds to take the title. He clocked 4:34.22, nearly 30 seconds ahead of the Australian.
“The 1500m was hard, really hard,” said Macey. “Before the race I knew I was within three and three quarters of a lap from the gold but that was the longest three and a quarter laps of my life.”
Macey finished with a total of 8143. Smith overtook Dudley for second, finishing with 8074. Dudley finished with a personal best of 8001.
Matthew Borwn for the IAAF
