Four-time world championship medallist and reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner has been selected to his fourth Olympic Games. In Paris next month, the 34-year-old says he has no plans of slowing down; he aims to defend his decathlon title, and to do it in style.
After winning gold in front of an empty stadium in Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions, what excites Warner the most about Paris 2024 is the incredible atmosphere he missed out on during his victory in 2021. “Thinking back to my amazing experiences at the Olympics, it’s in 2012, walking into a stadium full of 80,000 people,” Warner says. “You just can’t replicate that atmosphere anywhere else.”
The London, Ont., native still put on a show at the 2021 Games for the online spectators, winning with an Olympic record of 9,018 points and becoming only the fourth decathlete in history to score over 9,000. He has his sights set on the top of the podium once again, to bring home Olympic gold for Canada.
Despite his long list of accomplishments, Warner says he is not ready to call it quits. He has never won a world decathlon title, and the four World Championship medals he has earned haven’t left him satisfied. (At the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, Ore., he was leading on Day 1 of competition but suffered an injury and was forced to withdraw. Warner says he is still determined to bring home a gold medal from the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Before he hangs up his five pairs of spikes (that’s how many different pairs of shoes required for the 10 decathlon events), Warner also aspires to break Kevin Mayer’s decathlon world record of 9,126 points.
“The thing that would make me happiest is walking away on my own terms,” Warner says. “A lot of athletes end their careers because of an injury, or because they aren’t happy. This sport has given me so much; all the people that are important to me in my life have come from sport, and I’d love to be able to return to the Games to watch as a spectator.”
When leaving his mark on Canadian track and field, the Olympic champion would like to be known for being himself, competing hard, representing his community as best he can and respecting others. “Inspiring others to pursue their dreams would be a huge positive,” Warner says. Growing up watching athletes like sprinter Donovan Bailey compete, Warner understands the significant impact that he could have on the next generation. “If they have something to achieve one day, anything is possible.”
Warner is not taking his fourth Olympics lightly, and he is just as excited and determined as he was the first time around for London 2012. Surrounded by boxes of Lululemon gear (Warner’s sponsor and the official outfitter of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams), he says it feels like Christmas morning. “When you see all your Team Canada gear, there is a moment of pride. And I think it’s well deserved, because the journey to get there is not easy.”
For aspiring Olympians, Warner passes on the same words his mom told him: you can do anything you set your mind to. For first-timers headed to Paris, he says, “You belong there. Understand that you have worked hard for this, your coaches have worked hard for this and you deserve to go out there and represent your country proudly.” At his first Games, it took him until the end to realize that he fit in, competed well, and could be proud, no matter the result.
Even after competing at three Olympic Games, Warner is very much looking forward to his fourth. “It still hasn’t gotten old,” he says. “I cannot wait to compete my hardest.”
