Damian Warner wants the decathlon to remain Canadian domain at the Summer Games.
The defending Olympic champion is the lone hope after countryman Pierce LePage, the reigning world champ from Whitby, dropped out in mid-July after sustaining a surgery-requiring herniated disc months earlier.
“You always want to compete against the best athletes,” Warner, a London, Ont., native, said. “Pierce is a huge competitor. We both push each other to be better and you can’t rest on your laurels. All I do is give it my all with whoever is at the start line.
“I can’t control anybody else’s health, readiness or fitness.”
LePage is not the only big name battling physical woes at the worst possible time. Frenchman and decathlon world record holder Kevin Mayer recently suffered an injury in a Diamond League hurdles race. While he plans to get to the decathlon starting line for the 100-metre opener Aug. 2, sticking around for all 10 events in the two-day grind is a more herculean task.
THE FIELD: Only four men have surpassed 9,000 points in a decathlon. The 34-year-old Warner, currently the oldest competitor, and Mayer are the only ones still active.
There are eight decathletes heading to Paris with personal bests over 8,700 points and 14 with career bests of 8,600. It might take more than 8,800 points to get on the podium depending on weather conditions.
“It’s pretty easy to be motivated,” said Warner, who scored an Olympic record 9,018 points in Tokyo. “The decathlon is at a higher place than it’s ever been. It’s ridiculous right now.”
German Leo Neugebauer is coming in hot. The 24-year-old University of Texas Longhorn put up a huge 8,961 at the NCAA championships in June at Eugene, Ore. That fifth all-time score was helped by a decathlon-best 57.70m in discus.
Grenada’s Lindon Victor was third at worlds behind LePage and Warner last year and his career best is 8,756.
Dutchman Sven Roosen scored 8,517 to finish behind Warner in Austria at the Gotzis Hypo-Meeting in the spring and is on an upward trend.
CHASING HISTORY: Warner grew up competing against American great Ashton Eaton. Now, he can match Eaton’s back-to-back Olympic golds with another victory.
“A lot of people got into the sport because of Ashton,” he said. “I would love to have a big performance in Paris. I feel pretty relaxed and don’t ever feel like I’m in a rush. I have enough experience to deal with whatever comes up.
“I’ll trust my training and my ability to compete when it matters.”
Warner is aiming to be the fourth man to win successive Olympic decathlon golds. Eaton went back-to-back in 2012 and ‘16 while British star Daley Thompson (1980, ‘84) and Bob Mathias (1948, ‘52) of the United States also accomplished the feat.
This is Warner’s fourth Olympics. He won in Tokyo, finished third in Rio and was fifth at the tender age of 22 in London, England 12 years ago.
He has a record eight Gotzis titles to his name. The only thing he hasn’t accomplished yet is an outdoor world title.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: Warner took up the sport while at London’s Montcalm high school. He learned the decathlon by watching YouTube instructional videos and proved a quick study.
Two of his current coaches — Gar Leyshon and Dennis Nielsen — taught him in high school and have stayed part of his team virtually throughout his career.
A lot of world-class athletes feel the need to move from home or gravitate toward the greatest minds in their respective sports to gain an edge. Warner tried it once with a move to Calgary, but didn’t stay very long. He continues to train at Western University’s Thompson Arena during the winter and on the Alumni Stadium track in the outdoor months. He also pumps iron at the Damian Warner Fitness Centre, though he isn’t currently involved in its day-to-day operation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he trained in a makeshift setup at ancient Farquharson Arena in his hometown.
The result of that effort was the Olympic record in Tokyo.
“I haven’t been back there,” he quipped about the old hockey rink, “and I hope I don’t have to any time soon.”
THEO TIME: A decent number of top decathletes have kids. Warner and partner Jen Cotten are expecting their second child at the end of September. That due date means Jen and three-year-old Theo Warner won’t be heading to the Olympics this time around. That’s OK because Theo has T-ball and preschool to keep him busy. Plus, Theo is able to show up at his father’s practice any time he wants. He even imitates his dad by throwing a mini-discus or long jumping into the pit. A while back, he wouldn’t throw or jump unless he was clapped into it by a crowd of people. His feeling on that has changed. “He’s the opposite now,” Warner says with a grin. “If you clap now, he won’t go. He doesn’t want anybody cheering for him at all.”
STRONG START: Nobody in history jumps to a quick lead faster than Warner and LePage had been one of the best at keeping the points gap close through the first two events (the 100-metre hurdles and long jump). Warner is a world-class hurdler so the only way to catch him is through high jump, pole vault and a few of the throws. Warner’s record eighth Gotzis title in the spring showed his speed and power isn’t waning. “It was reaffirming,” he said. “I feel like everything’s improved over last year. I ran 10.20 (seconds) in the 100 and no one else in the decathlon has run faster than that. I’ll always be happy with that. It’s not a requirement to have a great start, but it sets up your decathlon nicely.
“I feel like momentum carries over.”
THE ENVIRONMENT: Warner’s gold in Tokyo was a personal triumph, but not something he could share with many people in the moment. It was under the strict pandemic-controlled regulations we all try to forget now.
There weren’t any fans in the stands, so he is looking forward to what is coming in Paris.
It’s the sort of vibe that brings out the best in any athlete.
“It’s a destination (city) a lot of people want to travel to,” he said, “let alone watch a spectacle like track and field. The tickets for the schedule that includes the decathlon are selling well and it could be a packed house. I think back to Gotzis this year and there were 15,000 people in the stands over the two days, which was a good sign.
“There should be many more than that at the Paris stadium. I’ve been to the city seven years ago, but it was more a vacation — to be a tourist. This is a business trip.”
FANCY A ROUND?: How do you describe the difficulty of the decathlon to someone who has never seen one? Warner likens the experience to a high-paced version of golf. “I’m always telling people that,” Warner said. “At first, you’re horrible. Then, you start to get a bit better as time goes on. One day, your driving is really good but your putting is terrible. The next day, your putting is awesome but your chipping is horrible. It’s like this idea if all these (parts) come together and I can do them all at the same time, I’ll put up this incredible score. If it ever happens, who knows? But maybe if I do this, this great result can come.
“That’s what makes the decathlon cool.”
If you dwell on a mishap, it will cascade. The one who manages the ups and downs best usually ends up winning.
“Once you start doing it, you get fully invested because you realize how challenging it is,” he said, “and you try to master that challenge.”
He scaled that Olympic mountain once. Now, without his teammate, he will try again.
“I hope my success and Pierce’s success continue to inspire people in this country to take up decathlon,” Warner said. “Just like Michael Smith, Dave Steen and all the guys before me, there are going to be athletes after us that help keep driving the sport and get people excited about it.”
GOOD AS GOLD: A look at Damian Warner’s personal bests in the decathlon
- Decathlon (total points) 9,018
- 100 metres: 10.12 seconds
- Long jump: 8.28 metres
- Shot put: 15.34 metres
- High jump: 2.09 metres
- 400 metres: 46.54 seconds
- 110-metre hurdles: 13.27 seconds
- Discus: 50.26 metres
- Pole vault: 4.90 metres
- Javelin: 64.67 metres
- 1500 metres: 4 minutes, 24.73 seconds