Electronic Telegraph Friday 22 September 2000 Tom Knight in Sydney DENISE LEWIS shrugged off any doubts caused by recent injury problems and stressed that she was going for gold in the Olympic heptathlon, which starts here tomorrow. After picking up Achilles tendon and calf injuries during her victory in Talence in July, when she improved her own British and Commonwealth record, Lewis admitted she was only "90 per cent prepared". But she added: "Any worries I had over my injuries are long gone. I'm here to do a job and nothing is going to stop me. I'm 90 per cent prepared but 100 per cent ready." A bronze medallist four years ago in Atlanta, Lewis is the favourite this time round and one of Britain's main hopes for gold. She said: "Since Atlanta I've always seen Sydney as the opportunity to be the best I can possibly be. The Olympics are everyone's dream. This is what I used to watch as a kid in the 1980s. "I definitely think I'm in a position to win gold. After winning the bronze, I'm not going to be happy trailing in fifth." Lewis, the European and Commonwealth champion, is relishing the opportunity to avenge her defeat by France's Eunice Barber at last year's World Championships in Seville. Barber will tackle the seven events over two days having only just recovered from a hamstring injury which has hampered her all season. Lewis still sees Barber as the main threat, though also competing is Syria's Ghada Shouaa, the Olympic champion who has spent the last four years battling a series of injuries. Eamonn Condon WWW.RunnersGoal.com
