In my heart of hearts my motivation would always have been to be the best, and I think that athletics is probably what I was built for.

I didn't even know what it was when I started. But I was lucky. I found it at 16. Most people don't discover decathlon until they're 21 or 22.

During a photo-call with fellow Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew- Pity Steve Ovett didn't show up. Then we could have had the good, the bald and the ugly.

Having the ambition of becoming Olympic champion is a whole different ambition from wanting to be the greatest.

When I lost my decathlon world record I took it like a man. I only cried for ten hours.

I've still got a small fitness and conditioning business where I travel round the world doing stuff for individuals and corporations, mainly fitness training.

There are lots of women tennis players, for instance, but because not many of them seem to have much personality, they're interchangeable. You don't have a feeling about them.