Jamaica's Maurice Smith makes an attempt during the high jump of the Men's Decathlon during the World Athletics Championships yesterday, in Osaka, Japan.

Osaka, Japan:

Buoyed by two personal best performances, Maurice Smith sits on the brink of achieving one of the greatest sporting feats by a Jamaican athlete in any sport.

After five events in the decathlon competition at the 11th IAAF World Championships, the Calabar old boy leads a crack field of 27 of the world's most elite athletes with 4,525 points, the most he has ever achieved on the first day of the multi-discipline event.

His personal best performances came in the 100m, 10.62 for second and, 47.48, also for second in the 400m. He was also second in the long jump with a season-best 7.50m. His best for the day was a huge 17.32m in the shot put. His only real blemish was his 1.97m for joint 17th in the high jump.

No Jamaican has ever won a medal in decathlon at the World Championships. The best is Claston Bernard's ninth place with 8000 points at the Paris meet in 2003. Smith dropped out after two events in Helsinki, two years ago.

Champion at the recent Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Smith thinks he can do it.

"I am in the best shape of my life right now. After today's performance, I am pretty confident going into the second day especially since my coach (Auburn University's Jerry Clayton) is here with me. He had not been able to travel with me to previous meets. I am a lot more relaxed and comfortable in my events because I have a second pair of eyes telling me what's going wrong or what's going right.

"I have trained pretty hard throughout the year. The training camp in Tottori, Japan, two weeks before the championships has helped not just me but the rest of the guys that were there. Usain (Bolt) and a couple of other people have won medals. All of them were at the training camp.

"I am really looking forward to tomorrow as I have two strong events, the hurdles and discus coming up early and hopefully, I can maximise on those points."

Smith said he was not unduly worried about an elbow injury which bothered him at the Pan Am Games and he should break his own national record of 8,349 points.

"I think I could pass that if I maintain what I am doing and stay focused. I am not worried about the elbow (which has affected him in the javelin). If it comes down to the javelin, I am going to do whatever it takes."

Injury

Smith's bid for a medal was made a bit easier after the high jump. His main rival up till then, American defending champion Bryan Clay, pulled out with an injury after clearing 1.97m in the high jump and making two attempts at 2.00m and one at 2.03m.

"I really do not like to see good athletes get injured but with him being out, it makes it a whole lot more comfortable for me. But you still have a lot of talented guys out there, especially the world record holder, Roman Sebrle.

"Right now, I will just try to maintain what I have. My goal coming into the World Championships was to be in the top three."

Sebrle is now in third on 4,434 points, five less than Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Karpov on 4,439.

Today's events are the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m. The final event of the decathlon, the 1500m, is at 7:30 a.m.

Jamaica will also compete today in the heats of the women's and men's 4x400m heats at 6:05 a.m. and 7 a.m.

- Elton Tucker