ATHLETICS : Macey inclusion a team dream; THE INSIDE TRACK.

Byline: LeeMcConnell

IF anyone has put a bigger smile on the face of British athletics than Dean Macey I've yet to meet that person.

The decathlete booked his place on the plane to Athens with a typically gutsy display in Hexham at the weekend.

His inclusion is a massive boost for everyone in the team and I was delighted to see Dean get the points he needed.

It was a thoroughly deserved reward for someone who has endured so much pain in recent years.

Macey finished fourth at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 before taking a bronze at the World Championship in Edmonton 12 months later and big things were expected of him.

Over the past few years, though, he has had to cope with a series of injuries.

I was out in Cyprus in May doing some training and Dean was there at the same time.

Hehad just recovered from a torn hamstring but everything seemed to be going okay again until one day when it went again.

Amazingly Dean remained confident he would still make it to Athens although he did say he wasn't going to kill himself to get there.

The last thing he wanted to do was push himself too much and end up out of the sport for good. And it hasn't just been the hamstrings that have troubled Dean. He's had a whole series of injuries to contend with.

That's what happens in multi events. There's so much pressure put on the body, making injuries common place.

If you're a javelin thrower you condition your body accordingly so you can throw a javelin.

But in the multi event you have to do a whole range of movements.

So you're never doing the same routine and your body has to adapt all the time. It's very, very tough. Athletes like Dean put their bodies under a lot of stress, in different areas and in different events.

But thankfully his body held out in Hexham allowing him to rack up enough points to satisfy the selectors.

Macey will be more than just a medal hope in Athens. His role away from the action is just as important.

Dean is such a character. He's a nice bloke who likes to tell a few jokes and has an upbeat personality.

In Edmonton he was in a lot of pain but that didn't stop him picking up a bronze.

However, it wasn't just guts and determination that kept him going. He always seems to stay positive when most of us would feel sorry for ourselves in similar situations. That's why we're all so happy he's going to Athens.

Dean has a lot to offer the team, both on the track and off it. Only a fool would rule out his chances of returning home with a medal round his neck.

As for myself, I've been selected in the GB team for this weekend's Norwich Union international match against the USA, a Commonwealth Select and a European Select at Birmingham.

After a couple of weeks of heavy training, though, I feel a bit sluggish and don't feel in good enough shape to go run a flat 400 metres.

I'll probably pull out of the individual event and just focus on the 4x400m relay, if they want me.

Whenever I get the chance to represent my country I don't like to turn it down.

CAPTION(S):

LOUD AND PROUD: Lee; thinks Dean's influence is huge on and off the track