Warner sets Canadian decathlon record
Meanwhile, Canada’s medal haul sits at 187, including 65 golds, a new high-water mark
TORONTO — Damian Warner set a Canadian record in the decathlon on Thursday, while Canada set a national record for gold medals won at the Pan American Games.
The 25-year-old Warner from London, Ont., won the decathlon in the 13th day of competition at the Pan American Games, in the process breaking Michael Smith’s 19-year-old Canadian record.
Warner scored 8,659 points. Smith’s mark was 8,626. He needed to run four minutes 29 seconds in the decathlon’s final event, the 1,500 metres, to break the record, and ran 4:24.73.
“When I made my decision to come here to compete in front of the home crowd I didn’t expect it to be this good,” said Warner.
Warner took a healthy lead into the 1,500 — No. 10 of 10 events held over the two-day decathlon, recording personal bests in the 100 metres, long jump and discus.
Earlier, water-skier Whitney McClintock of Cambridge, Ont., took first place in the women’s slalom event — her second top finish of these Games — to give Canada 65 gold medals in total up to that point. The previous record of 64 was set in Winnipeg in 1999.
McClintock, who won gold Wednesday in the overall competition, finished first in the six-skier slalom field to kick off a six-medal Thursday for Canadian water-skiers. Ryan Dodd capped the effort with a gold medal in the men’s jump competition on a warm, sunny afternoon on the waterfront.
McClintock later added silver medals in the tricks and jump finals and her brother Jason won silver in the men’s slalom.
After McClintock’s gold Canada kept adding medals, to bring its total up to 69 gold, 62 silver and 56 bronze by the end of competition Thursday evening. The United States led the medal count with 83 gold, 69 silver and 71 bronze. In the men’s tricks, Jaret Llewellyn of Innisfail, Alta., won silver with 10,550 points. American Adam Pickos won gold with 11,110.
Later, Canada earned the gold medal in the team equestrian competition at Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. The Canadians finished the two-round competition with seven faults, one less than Argentina. The U.S. earned the bronze with 12 faults. The Canadian team consisted of Tiffany Foster of North Vancouver, 2008 Olympic champion Eric Lamaze of Schomberg, Ont., Yann Candele of Caledon, Ont., and Ian Millar of Perth, Ont.
Vancouver’s Jusleen Virk earned bronze in the women’s 50-kilogram event. She lost to Chile’s Gabriela Bruna in the semifinals.