Damian Warner is still searching for perfection in the 'nightmare' of decathlon
CBC
For as physically and mentally taxing as the decathlon is and will always be, Damian Warner is more invested in mastering his sport than any other time in his career.
And he's been at this for a while now.
With 10 events over two days, the margin of error is small in a competition that is famous for anointing the world's greatest athlete. The expectation to perform repeatedly on demand and under pressure is enough to drive even the best decathletes a little bit crazy.
"The decathlon is somewhat of a nightmare," says Warner ahead of his daily training session inside Thompson Arena on the Western University campus in London, Ont., a two-hour drive west of Toronto. "There's a lot of stuff that can go wrong. And there are a lot of things that often do go wrong when you're doing it.
"But I think the beauty of the decathlon is the idea of like, what if I get all 10 events to go exactly as planned?"
It's that question that has been ruminating in the 33-year-old Olympic champion's mind for more than a decade. He wonders if one day he might just find magic, when everything aligns and he pulls off the perfect decathlon.
"I don't know if there's anybody in history that's ever experienced that, but why not be the first guy to be able to do that?" he says with a smile. "So that's what we train for every day, is for this imaginary decathlon. Who knows if it exists, but we're going to test our limits to see if it's possible."
Warner's next shot at perfection comes May 27-28 at the annual Hypo Meeting in Götzis, Austria. Last May, Warner claimed a sixth consecutive decathlon title there, extending his record total to seven.
WATCH | Warner seeking redemption at upcoming worlds in Budapest:
It might sound strange to hear the man who won Olympic gold with a record-breaking performance muse about still chasing the perfect decathlon —he was nearly perfect in Tokyo to become the champion. But it's this admission from Warner that perhaps provides the clearest context of how his mind works and how he approaches every training session and every competition.
Warner has a list of things he wants to accomplish in the sport. He's crossed off most of them but there are still a few things remaining. Like winning a world championship and breaking the world record.
To do this particular sport well, 10 grueling events over two days, Warner admits one has to be a little obsessive.
"I think most track athletes kind of have that trait. It's not easy, there are going to be times where you go through these stagnating periods where you don't see improvement, or you feel like you're getting worse," he says. "There are going to be times of doubt or fear or questions of if you think you're able to accomplish your ultimate dream.
"But I think that you just have to have that faith, you have to have people around you that can kind of lift you up when you need to be and then just keep moving forward. And I think that's the only way that you'll ever achieve what you're ultimately trying to achieve."
