Published at 09:47, Friday, 17 July 2009

Jamaica's 2002 Commonwealth decathlon champion Claston Bernard and the 2009 European cup winner from Italy, William Frullani, both have good reason the go for Dean Macey's meeting record this weekend in the McCains UKA Combined Events Challenge "Hexham Meeting 2009" at Wentworth.

Bernard, won the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 then lost his title to a determined and injury-free Macey in 2006.

He has also been struggling to find form in recent years.

The 6 ft 6 in tall 30 year old, now based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, will be starting this weekend’s event with one thing in mind – 8000 points and a qualification for the World Championships which take place in four weeks’ time in Berlin.

"I need a big score and I feel like I'm in the shape to do it this weekend," said Bernard.

"Having missed out on Hexham last year, I really want to do well in this meet. I've heard so much about it and many of my rivals have done well in Hexham in the past," he added.

Macey’s record could well have belonged to Italian, William Frullani who was second to Macey in 2004 at Hexham.

The fact that he was over 100 points ahead of Macey after day one then almost fell in the 110m hurdle, meant that his 2004 Olympic bid ended in disappointment at Hexham, while Macey went on to finish fourth for the second Olympic Games running.

Frullani is also after the 8000 points which will take him to Berlin with the Italian team.

Frullani and Bernard have been rivals with Macey for the past decade and the 2009 Hexham Meeting will once again prove to be the make or break for those athletes seeking the world stage next month.

UK decathlete Ed Dunford could also challenge for a place in the World Championship team if he hits his 2007 form which saw him achieve the Olympic qualifying mark with 7733points. Dunford has not reached that form yet this year but will be given the best possible competition to achieve it.

Meeting director Richard Hunter has pulled together the best line-up in the event’s history, with athletes coming from all corners of the world to take part.

The women's heptathlon will also see a top line-up and New Zealand Olympian Rebecca Wardell is the favourite to take the title and also set a new meeting record if her personal best of 6,107 points is anything to go by.

Her main rival will be up and coming Czech international Jana Kresova who also looks to book her place in the World Championships next month.

Competition starts at 10am both tomorrow and Sunday.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk