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Olympic star Damian Warner talks competing in full decathlon at the PanAm Games

Olympic star Damian Warner talks competing in full decathlon at the PanAm Games

This summer's Pan Am Games in Toronto will feature lots of top athletes, but they present challenges for some athletes too when considered in the wider context of the crowded summer athletic calendar. This is particularly true in the demanding sport of decathlon; some top decathletes, including American world record holder Ashton Eaton, have said they'll only compete in a few individual events at the Pan Ams to save themselves for the world championships in August. Canadian decathlon star Damian Warner plans to do the full, grueling 10-event competition at the Pan Ams despite its proximity to the worlds, though. Warner, who became a well-known Canadian name thanks to an impressive fifth-place finish at the 2012 London Olympics, has been named a Pan Am torchbearer, and he's currently teaming up with Sport Chek for a media tour to promote the Pan Ams and fitness in general. Warner took the time for a phone interview with Eh Game this week, and said the chance to compete so close to his London, Ontario home in front of family and friends was what motivated him to do the full decathlon this summer.

"Being a Canadian athlete, you don't get many opportunities to compete in front of a home crowd," he said. "Most of my family are from London or the Toronto area, so it's perfect for them."

He said he understands why some top competitors don't want to do the full decathlon in Toronto, though.

"Some athletes are choosing not to compete in full because worlds are so close and recovery's so tough."

There should still be a challenging decathlon field, though. Warner said he doesn't know specifically who he'll be up against, but some of the countries that compete in the PanAm Games always have strong squads.

"The Cubans will always be strong, so will the Americans," he said.

Decathlon's not an easy sport to become successful at; it involves running (100m, 400m, and 1500m), jumping (long jump, high jump, and pole vault), throwing (discus, javelin and shot put) and hurdles (110m). Those events take a wide variety of different skills, requiring competitors to be well-rounded athletes. Warner said he loved switching to the full decathlon from individual events, though.

"I started as a jumper, long jump, triple jump, high jump," he said. "It allowed a lot more variety."

It was a challenging transition for him, though.

"Just trying to learn all those events in a short period of time can be tough."

Warner's taken to decathlon well, however. At age 20 in 2010, he won silver at the Canadian championships. He then won that event the next two years, and earned an 2012 Olympic berth based on his future potential; he rewarded those who believed in him with a remarkable performance in London, notching 8442 points (335 more than he ever had before) and finishing fifth. That surprised much of the world. It didn't really come as a surprise to Warner, though, as he felt confident heading into the Olympics.

"There was a little bit of it being unique, but my training leading up to London was amazing," he said.

Since them, he's continued his impressive run, winning bronze at the 2013 world championships and gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Sponsorships from Sport Chek and Nike have followed, and Warner's becoming more of a household name. Despite those performances and achievements, though, the 25-year-old thinks he still hasn't hit his peak.

"There's tons of room for improvement," Warner said.

Warner said that performance in the Olympics gave him the confidence he needs to go up against the world's top decathletes, though.

"Finishing fifth helped convince me I can compete against the best in the world."