Macey's challenge on course for medal

Dean Macey, who signalled his arrival in international athletics with a silver medal at his first World Championships two years ago, was well set to add another decathlon medal to his collection yesterday as he finished the first day with a one point lead over defending champion, Thomas Dvorak of the Czech Republic.

Macey was lying second before the final event of the day - the 400 metres - and 75 points behind Dvorak, but a superb win in his heat of the 400m with a time of 46.21 seconds put him at the top of the field with 4,638 points.

Just three weeks ago, the 23-year-old from Canvey Island was in two minds about whether he would be able to compete here after tearing a hamstring while training for the long jump.

Having decided to gamble, the man who had to settle for fourth place in last September's Sydney Olympics was prepared to have to settle for just one reasonable long jump, but he ended up performing better than that as he recorded 7.59 metres, just 21cm off his personal best.

Added to an opening 100 metres of 10.62, which was only three hundredths of a second off his best, it was enough to establish him in the bronze medal position.

A bright showing in the shot put, where he recorded a first attempt of 15.41 metres, again close to his best of 15.50, maintained his overall position and when he managed a high jump of 2.15 metres – the second highest of the day and a personal best by three centimetres – it took him into the silver medal position ahead of the Olympic champion, his training partner Erki Nool.

Dvorak, however, looked in ominously good form, recording a huge personal best in the long jump of 8.07 metres.

Roman Sbrle, Dvorak's compatriot, who became the first man to surpass 9,000 points earlier this year, lay in fourth place after four events, 173 points adrift of Macey.

Britain's chances of success in the men's 4x100 metres relay took a significant jump upwards here yesterday as Maurice Greene, who earned his third consecutive 100m title despite being hampered by a leg problem, confirmed he would take no further part in the Championships and put into doubt whether he will compete again this season.

Greene, who has competed all year with a strapping to counteract tendinitis in his left knee, crossed the line to take gold in Sunday's final in obvious discomfort after feeling pain in his left thigh and hamstring.

He confirmed immediately that he would not be defending the world 200m title he won two years ago in Seville, and yesterday's news will have been welcome to Britain's sprinters as they take stock of their position following a 100 metres competition in which their promise shone brightly before dimming at the finish.

Chambers, who had to settle for fifth in the final in 9.99sec after being drawn in lane eight, will have the opportunity to start afresh today over the longer sprint.

"I am looking forward to it," said the 23-year-old Londoner, who set a personal best of 20.31sec at Crystal Palace last month. "Maybe this is the event where I can do something good. I'm ready to roll."

Greene's absence will also encourage Britain's other 200m representatives, trials winner Marlon Devonish and Christian Malcolm, who set a Welsh record of 10.09sec en route to finishing seventh in the 100m final.

Meanwhile, Mark Lewis- Francis, who departed deflated from the 100m semi-final the day after learning that his apparent world junior record had been invalidated because of a faulty wind gauge, has a chance to recover his spirits and look forward to leaving these Championships with a final flourish.