Being a decathlete is like having ten girlfriends. You have to love them all, and you can't afford losing one.

Sport fosters many things that are good; teamwork and leadership.

Most people doing the decathlon these days are quite boring, so people don't relate to them.

You can be an Olympic champion in 9.5 secs, but to be the greatest, there's more to it. It takes a bit of forethought and a lot of mental application.

We crave instant success these days. If you are a really good sprinter and long jumper, you don't want to spend two or three years on a whole new set of events. You're used to doing well and it's difficult to give that up.

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.

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