Name: Damian Warner
Born: Nov. 4, 1989 in London, Ont.
Sport: Decathlon
What’s his story?
The 25-year-old from London, Ont., is the most legitimate medal threat Canada has had in the decathlon in decades. He finished fifth at the London Olympics in 2012 as a raw, new-to-the-sport 22-year-old who was competing in only the 10th decathlon of his life. He’s refined his skills in all 10 of the gruelling sport’s events since and inched closer and closer to breaking Mike Smith’s Canadian record of 8,626 points. Warner, the defending Commonwealth Games gold medallist, came away with a disappointing result at his most recent competition, scoring 7,893 points at the Hypo Meeting in Gotzis, Austria, this May. That’s well below what Warner is capable of and he’ll certainly be looking to improve on that in Toronto.
Best result
Warner earned 8,512 points to win bronze at the 2013 World Championships in Moskva, becoming the first Canadian to reach the podium since Smith won bronze in 1995.
Biggest rival
Warner’s primary rival and occasional training partner, Ashton Eaton of the United States, won’t be competing in the decathlon at the Pan Ams due to its proximity to the important World Championships, which take place just five weeks later. Some believe Warner is taking a large risk competing in Toronto himself, as he may not have enough time to fully recover and prepare for the World Championships which are much more important to athletes from career and sponsorship perspectives. But Warner has said the opportunity to compete in his home country, just two hours from where he grew up, is too important to pass up.
Prediction
Competing against a field weakened by several stars sitting out, Warner cruises to the gold medal and sets his sights on the world championships.