By Matt Majendie BBC Sport in Melbourne

Macey has endured a run of bad luck with injuries

England's Dean Macey plans to use the Commonwealth Games as a springboard to gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The 28-year-old decathlete's career has been dogged by injuries but he insisted he was fighting fit for Monday's event and even looking further ahead.

"I need a couple of years injury free and then I'll win the Olympics," he told BBC Sport.

"As for the Commonwealth Games, this is the best chance I'll ever get to win a major title."

Macey boasts the highest personal best - 8,556 points - of any of the competitors in Melbourne.

And he warned: "I'll be absolutely gutted if I don't win simply because I'll never get a better chance.

Dean Macey's guide: Decathlon in pictures

"If I'm there with my form I should do it and, one things for sure, my rivals will have to rip that gold off me. That said, people will catch me if I'm not on song."

Macey admitted his training approach had cost him major medals in the past and resulted in his long list of training injuries.

But he has restructured his training regime with coach Greg Richards, who has had to battle to restrain himself.

"My coach must be one of the few who has to shout at his athletes to tell them to slow down," he said, "but it seems to be working.

"I've done three months of training at 80% rather than do one month at 100%, which normally results in me getting injured.

"It remains to be seen if that's enough but I'm certainly up for the challenge."