Can Warner defend decathlon title?

Damian Warner, the reigning Olympic decathlon champ, is ready to go. Balanced, grounded and in a better place — on and off the track — than ever before, he’s eyeing a second gold at the Paris Games this summer.

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How does a man who competes in a sport with 10 different disciplines find balance? The same way he navigates being an Olympic champion with being a family man – with passion, dedication and the ability to stay grounded.

It doesn’t hurt that he’s been at this for a while.

In fact, it seems Damian Warner, the defending decathlon champ and record holder, has found the sweet spot – in his life and his athletic career – and it has him in a great place as he looks to reach the top of the podium at the 2024 Paris Games.

“I’m healthy, I’m comfortable, and I feel like I’m going to be ready to compete,” said the London, Ontario native, who will do battle with the best decathletes in the world Aug 1 and 2 at the Stade de France in Paris.

“It won't be easy, but based on my experience and what we’ve been working on this year, I think I have what it takes. I think this is the highest-level decathlon ever, from an individual entry standpoint, so we have to go out there and put the best decathlon that we can together.”

That’s certainly what Warner did three years ago. Leading from start to finish at the Tokyo 2020 Games, he tallied 9,018 points in the 10-discipline event to win Canada’s first gold medal in the decathlon – and earn the unofficial title of ‘World’s Greatest Athlete.’

It marked his second time medaling at the Olympics, as he’d won bronze at the 2016 Rio Games, finishing behind longtime rival Ashton Eaton and France’s Kevin Mayer, who will be at the start line in his home country in Paris this year.

That was a four-year turnaround, though. Because of COVID-19, this Olympic cycle was just three years, and Warner has certainly noticed the difference.

“It feels like it’s been a year and a half,” he said with a laugh. “It’s gone by really, really fast.”

One of the main reasons? He’s now a father to an energetic three-year-old son, Theo – with a second child on the way at the end of September.

“That has been a big difference. I feel like outside of the track I’m not so focused on what I was doing at the track. I have other priorities in my life, and that’s made time go by much faster.”

But it’s also brought further balance to his life. You’ll be forgiven if you picture the training life of a decathlete – and the balancing act of world-class athletics and family life – as being akin to plate spinning. But Warner is making it work – and, frankly, he’s making it look easy.

In May, he won his eighth Hypo Meeting decathlon in Götzis, Austria, putting forth a strong showing in his most recent major meet. Last month, in a final tune-up for the Paris Games, he competed in a few events at the Canadian track and field trials, choosing the 400m, the long jump and the hurdles.

“That was good. There wasn’t much pressure on me to go out there and perform. I just had to pick some events that I wanted to compete in. Everything went according to plan. I walked away healthy, which was the ultimate goal. And since we’ve been getting ready for the Games.”

Warner’s preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games was the stuff of lore. With COVID-19 restrictions, including the closure of facilities and rules around travel, the now-34-year-old worked out in a makeshift decathlon training centre in an old Farquharson Arena. His team made it work, but there were the doubts, he said, about whether he was doing everything required to compete well.

He did that and more, of course, coming home from Japan with decathlon gold.

“This year,” he said, “we’ve been able to train well. There have been a lot less doubts from that end, not as many concerns from that standpoint.”

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As far as finding balance on the track, Warner and his team of coaches – the same ones he’s had since high school – train every event each week. That means the three already mentioned plus the shot put, discus and javelin, the high jump and pole vault, and the 100m and 1,500m events.

“You always want to improve on your strengths, so we build a lot of our training around that, working on a lot of speed and power events,” Warner said. “But then you also have to improve some of the events that are giving you the most trouble at a given time, so you allot time for that. But we do hit all the events throughout the week, and I feel like if we do that, then usually I feel pretty comfortable with what I need to do to compete well.”

Warner doesn’t have to look far to see some of his best competition in this year’s decathlon. Canadian teammate Pierce LePage has arisen as one of the world’s best – in fact, he bested Warner at last summer’s World Championships, with the Londoner finishing with the silver medal.

So, best-case scenario, Warner finishes first and his teammate stands beside him on the podium?

“That would be ideal,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure he would have a different outcome, but if we’re standing on top of the podium, then I think that we’ve done everything right. Again, it won't be easy. The quality of the decathlon is higher than it's ever been. But, yes, standing on the top of that podium would be the ultimate goal.”

Besides LePage, Warner is excited about competing alongside a very talented Canadian track and field team, which will feature 48 athletes competing in Paris.

“Of all the years I’ve competed, this is probably the strongest team we’ve had,” said Warner. “It’s certainly the most well-rounded. You have not only me and Pierce in the decathlon, but you have a wide range of athletes that are successful in their own events. Athletes like Marco (Arop) on the track, and Sarah Mitton (in the shot put).

“You have relay guys that are super competitive. It seems like we have the top women and men’s hammer throwers, in Ethan (Katzberg) and Camryn (Rogers). And the list goes on. Christopher Morales in the 400 is a medal threat and one of the favourites. Alysha Newman competed really well at the nationals, so she could always get in a medal position. I feel like we have athletes that are near the top or at the top in so many different events.”

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It’s happened quickly, but Warner, at 34, has become the veteran of the Canadian track and field team. He’s certainly among the few with the most experience at the Olympics. He competed at his first, the 2012 London Games, at just 21 years of age, placing an impressive fifth. He’s come a long way since.

“Going into your first Games, there’s so much stuff that you just have no idea how to handle,” he said. “You walk into the village and it’s like, ‘Oh, there’s an all-you-can-eat McDonald’s that’s open 24/7.’ It’s like, ‘Okay, do I just go there and go nuts and eat all day, or do I go and eat some salads and healthier foods?’ There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of stuff that can drain your energy.”

In 2012, Warner, a big basketball fan, remembers seeing Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard in the athletes village and being star struck as a youngster.

“You’re like, I’m in the same place they are, and it’s easy to get caught up in those moments. Now, I feel like I’m in a position where I know when to expend that energy. I can allow myself to be that kid again and experience some of those things, but I know when to pull back and focus on what needs to be done.”

In other words, now a veteran of three Games, Warner will be drawing on that experience to laser focus on the task at hand. And that is to defend his title as Olympic decathlon champion.

The plan was for his longtime partner, Jen Cotten, a former elite hurdler, and their son, Theo, to make the trip to Paris and be in the stands. But with Cotten pregnant and chasing around a very energetic Theo, they’ll remain back in London. 

“He’s so fast. You turn your head, and he’s gone,” Warner said with a laugh. “They’re going to stay home and watch with family and friends. But all four of my coaches will be inside the stadium, so that’s going to be pretty awesome.”

Balancing that family life with his athletic ambitions has taken practice, but Warner says he’s never been in a better place on the track and in his personal life at the same time.

“Theo has been an amazing addition to our life,” he said. “And, of course, we’re expecting another baby. Life has been changing for us, but I feel like I’m in a happy place where I’m comfortable with everything in my life.”

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What keeps an Olympic champion hungry? Is it simply winning again? That’s the obvious goal, of course, but Warner says it’s about much more than that. Regardless of whether he won in Tokyo or not, he says, there was never a question as to whether he’d be back in Paris this summer.

“For me, the decathlon is something I love. I’ve been doing it for a long time, but I feel like the reason I’m still fully invested and still fully motivated is because I just love the sport,” he said. “I feel I have so much more to give to the sport and so much more that I can accomplish and achieve.”

So, is the goal to win gold in Paris? Yes. Is it the only goal? No. There are points goals, goals for individual disciplines, goals for experiences at major events competing against the best of the best in the world.

“Ultimately, I think what drives me is to see what’s possible. What more can I achieve, and what more can I learn? I feel like once I feel I’ve maximized that, then that will be the time where I start to think about going away.

“But I don’t feel like I’ve reached that point. I don’t think I’m anywhere near that yet.”