By Ian Gordon, PA Sport, Sydney

Dean Macey should have won a decathlon medal in Sydney and added another bronze to Britain's glorious tally from the Games.

The 22-year-old missed out by just 26 points on the track, though he was also denied off it as eventual winner Erki Nool benefited from a contentious decision.

Team manager Max Jones continues to insist that Nool's last throw in the discus was illegal and that the Estonian should have been out of contention.

Macey, who trained before the Games with Nool and shares the same coach in Greg Richards, showed no bitterness towards the gold medallist, just disappointment at coming so close in the Olympic Stadium.

But the former Canvey Island lifeguard is the future of the demanding 10-event competition and Britain clearly has someone who can finally emulate the achievements of double Olympic champion Daley Thompson.

Macey has time on his side. Nool admitted so during the fierce heat of competition when he turned to his rival in the javelin discipline and said: "I'll win this gold, you can have the next two."

Nool is now 30 while the silver and bronze medallists, Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic and America's Chris Huffins, are 25 and 30 respectively.

Though they might all be around in Athens in four years time, Nool and Huffins will already have passed their peaks for an event which takes so much out of the competitor.

Macey is still reaching his. He will be in his prime in Athens and wherever the Games are in 2008. All he has to hope is that he stays fit and healthy.

It is injuries which affected his early senior career after he won silver at the World Juniors in Sydney in 1996. They kept him out of decathlon competition for three years.

Macey has also had his problems this season and the injuries to his shoulder and elbow, which required an operation, undoubtedly affected his performance in the discus, javelin and shot - when he was below his best.

But Macey has proved that the highest level of competition literally brings out the best in him.

In Seville last year, when he first emerged from obscurity to win silver at the World Championships, Macey set six personal bests.

In Sydney he recorded new career highs in the long jump, 400 metres, pole vault and 1500m to also set a new personal best total of 8,567 points - which only Thompson has bettered among British athletes.

The Essex-born athlete is confident he will eventually surpass Thompson and become the first decathlete in history to break the 9,000 points barrier.

Macey's first big test will be next year's Worlds in Edmonton, Canada, where he will be one of the favourites to take the crown of Tomas Dvorak of the Czech Republic, whose challenge in Sydney was hit by injury.

Five more for the future:

Phillips Idowu (athletics)

Gold medallist Jonathan Edwards sets the standard but Britain has two men waiting to battle it out to inherit his mantle once the triple jump king abdicates his throne.

Phillips Idowu celebrated his first Games by smashing his personal best to reach the final, where he finished sixth behind team-mates Edwards and Larry Achike, who was fifth.

Aged 23, the Londoner should be a medal favourite in Athens 2004.

David Millar (cycling)

David Millar was unable to repeat his Tour de France time-trial victory on the streets of Sydney when he finished 16th in the Games.

But Millar, the Malta-born Scot who lives in France, proved in the world's most gruelling event, when he became only the fourth Briton to wear the famous yellow jersey, that he is a future champion.

Sarah Stevenson (taekwondo)

Doncaster's Sarah Stevenson was the youngest competitor in the women's taekwondo competition, which made its debut as an Olympic sport in Sydney, but came agonisingly close to the bronze medal.

The 17-year-old world junior champion lost by just one point but showed with her victory over China's He Lumin, one of the pre-Games favourites, that she has the power and pace to beat the best.

Now all she needs is the experience.

Tim Brabants (canoe/kayak)

Tim Brabants won a bronze medal in the K1 1000 class despite having to juggle training while also in his fourth year studying medicine at Nottingham University.

The 23-year-old, who has been competing since he was 10 years old, is a former world junior champion who should be a gold medal threat in Athens if he can concentrate on the sport full-time.