On the surface you might think everything came easy for Derek Drouin and Damian Warner in Rio during the Olympics. The gold and bronze medallists (Drouin in high jump; Warner in decathlon) seemed to perform effortlessly. They seemed to be smiling non-stop both in and out of competition. They spent time training together leading up to the Games and took in some sights after they competed. Their time at Christ the Redeemer and Canada Olympic House were full of smiles and selfies. But when they reached the golden arches of McDonald’s in the Athletes’ Village, they had issues. “Huge line-ups. We got rejected the one day. We showed up and there was a bouncer at the door and he was like, ‘No. No chicken nuggets for you guys today.'” Warner delivers this anecdote with his dry sense of humour and only a slight smile. The 24-hour all-you-can-eat free McDonald’s that many athletes took advantage of in Rio was hit so hard that by the time the two Canadians arrived after the track competition was done they were too late.
“Damian didn’t bring his medal with him. It’s the toughest club to get into in Rio,” said Drouin.
“We texted some other athletes and mooched off them and got some free stuff,” Warner added. These two weren’t going to be denied.
In many ways that’s a microcosm of their athletic experience. As I sat with both Nike athletes at the shoe brand’s headquarters in Canada and listened to them reflect on Rio 2016, the main takeaway was how different these Games were from London. The theme this time around was not settling for subpar results no matter the pain threshold.
“After 2012, Damian switched his mindset and said ‘I want to be on the podium no matter what,'” Drouin offered on behalf of his buddy.
That approach didn’t just change with Warner—it seemed to change with the entire track and field organization. Drouin explains: “I think a lot of people went to London with the mindset, ‘I just want to get experience,’ and they really regretted that after the fact. And then they said, ‘If I am lucky enough to get back to another Olympics, I’m playing to win.’ A lot of people got a kick in the butt in London.”
The results were that six of Canada’s 22 medals in Rio came in the 10-day track and field event. That’s the most Canada has won in athletics since the 1932 Los Angeles Games (where Canada won nine). The Canadian team jumped from 34th in the track and field medal standings in 2012 to 10th in 2016.
“The younger athletes came in and they only saw the ‘I’m here to compete’ mindset,” said Drouin, referring to first-time Olympians like Andre De Grasse and Melissa Bishop. “They never saw the happy-to-be-here mentality. We have youngsters coming and they are ready to be the best in the world right off the bat and it’s been a contagious mentality.”
So what are the Canucks capable of in Tokyo 2020? Drouin and Warner plan to still be competing, as does the majority of the young Canadian team. “People are expecting big things,” said Warner. “It’s tough to put a number on what type of medal count to expect because there are going to be some people who come out of nowhere who have been inspired.”
It is clear the two have inspired each other. “It’s awesome to see Damian doing so well. You know how much work he puts in. So as teammates and Canadians we celebrate along with him because he is such a quality person representing our country,” Drouin said, as Warner listened with his head down, seemingly embarrassed to be the subject of conversation.
The last word was given to the man who performs in track and field’s toughest sport. “When you train with someone and you see they are struggling—Dmaybe they have an injury or a bad day—to be able to see them turn it around and perform at the highest level its always an amazing thing,” said Warner. “I’ve seen that working with Derek and so many other Canadian athletes. We are definitely in a privileged position right now and to share the journey with so many people is something we’ll never forget.”
