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2019 Pan Am Games

Canada sending 46 track and field athletes to Peru

Decathlete Damian Warner, a gold medallist at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, is among 18 returnees to Canada's roster of 46 — 19 men, 27 women — who will compete at this year's event in Lima, Peru, starting July 26.

18 returnees from 2015 squad that won 27 medals, including 11 gold, in Toronto

Doug Harrison · CBC Sports ·
Damian Warner, who won decathlon gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games, leads Canada’s 46-member team into Lima, Peru, where 6,700 athletes from 41 countries across 62 disciplines in 39 sports will come together in July. (Frank Gunn/Canadian Press/File)

This summer's Pan Am Games will allow Damian Warner to test some decathlon events against high-level competition two months out from the track and field world championships.

"Some of my top competitors will be at Pan Ams," says the native of London, Ont. "It will serve as an opportunity to see what needs to be worked on or changed before my focus turns to Doha [Qatar and the world championships]."

Warner, 29, was a gold medallist at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto and is among 18 returnees to Canada's roster of 46 — 19 men, 27 women — who will compete for 17 days in Lima, Peru, starting July 26.

It will represent the largest sporting event to be held in Peru, bringing together about 6,700 athletes from 41 countries across 62 disciplines in 39 sports.

Canada reached the podium 27 times in Toronto, winning 11 gold medals, seven silver and nine bronze.

5-time Hypo Meeting champion

"For me, the goal heading into every competition is to win," says Warner, who captured his fifth Hypo Meeting decathlon title last month in Gotzis, Austria. "On the day of the event, it's taking care of all the little things to make that a possibility."

Warner set personal bests in the 100 metres (10.12 seconds) and shot put (15.34m) at the event on the way to a 2019 world-leading total of 8,711 points.

WATCH | Damian Warner bests his 100m decathlon record:

Damian Warner runs fastest 100m in decathlon history

6 years ago
Duration 0:34
Canadian Damian Warner runs the 100m in 10.12 seconds for the fastest time in decathlon history.

He has trained for much of the time since the Hypo Meeting, but did clear a season-best 4.85 metres in pole vault at the Bob Vigars Classic in his hometown on June 23.

The 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, Warner is seeing the benefit of the move home last September from Calgary to work with Gar Leyshon, his high school coach, as Warner has already reached the podium 11 times this outdoor season across various disciplines, including four victories.

Moncton's Genevieve Lalonde will be looking to upgrade her bronze medal in the 3,000 steeplechase from the 2015 Pan Ams.

Genevieve Lalonde of Moncton will try to improve on a bronze-medal finish from the 2015 Pan Am Games at this year’s event in Peru. She ran a personal-best and Canadian-record time of nine minutes 29.82 seconds in May. (David Ramos/Getty Images/File)

On May 18, the 27-year-old ran a personal-best and Canadian-record time of nine minutes 29.82 seconds that also fell inside the 9:30.00 Olympic standard for the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Doug Harrison

Doug Harrison has covered the professional and amateur scene as a senior writer for CBC Sports since 2003. Previously, the Burlington, Ont., native covered the NHL and other leagues for Faceoff.com. Follow the award-winning journalist @harrisoncbc

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