Canadian Warner leads decathlon

Defending champion Damian Warner led Canadian teammate Pierce LePage after the first day of the decathlon at the Commonwealth Games.

Warner opened with his season-best 10.29 in the 100, threw a personal best 15:11 metres in the shot put, recorded 7.54 metres in the long jump and a season-best 2.04 meters in the high jump. He capped off Day 1 by winning his 400 in 48.12 for a total of 4,509 points.

LePage, from Whitby, Ont., was 129 points behind.

Warner, a 28-year-old from London, Ont., who now makes his home in Calgary, said he was content with his performance across the first day and didn’t rule out a shot at the games record.

“I’ll come out tomorrow and start with the hurdles and if it’s there when it comes down to the 1,500 — I’ll go for it,’’ said the Olympic bronze medallist.

Warner is coming off a second-place heptathlon showing at the world indoor championships in Birmingham, England, losing to France’s Kevin Mayer by just five points despite setting a Canadian indoor record of 6,343 points.

Also Monday, Canadian Tim Nedow won bronze in the shot put. The 27-year-old from Brockville threw a season-best 20.91 metres to finish behind New Zealand’s Thomas Walsh (21.41) and Nigeria’s Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (21.14).

Defending champion O’Dayne Richards of Jamaica was fourth (20.80).

CP PHOTO Canada’s Damian Warner and Australia’s Cedric Dubler react after their heat in the 400m of the decathlon at Carrara Stadium during the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, Monday,