Adaptability is key ahead of Beijing Olympics, says gold medallist Damian Warner
Whether it's politics, uncertainty, or Tokyo heat, Warner says being flexible will give Canadians an edge
As athletes once again face uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic, mixed with political turmoil, ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, gold medallist Damian Warner is encouraging adaptability.
"I think the more flexible you are, whatever situation comes up, you'll be able to handle," Warner told The Current's guest host Paul Hunter.
"I think if you have that ability, that's something else that some of your competitors might not have."
Warner was recently named The Canadian Press male athlete of the year, and crowned Canada's top athlete of the year with the Lou Marsh Trophy.
The 32-year-old from London, Ont., showed his adaptability by winning gold in decathlon in Tokyo, despite the Olympics being delayed, coupled with the possibility that they might have not happened at all, and having to deal with intense heat when he was there.
Warner captured Canada's first Olympic decathlon title, and set an Olympic record and a Canadian record. He also became just the fourth man in history to top the 9,000-point barrier in the event.
Warner said blocking out the stress and uncertainty around the Olympics was key to his success.
"Then all you have to focus on is performing well on the track or on the ice or anywhere you need to be."
Warner said that also means blocking out the politics surrounding the Olympics. Earlier in December, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada will launch a diplomatic boycott of the Olympic in Beijing, which are set to begin Feb. 1. While no federal government officials will attend the games, Canadian athletes will still be allowed to compete.
Warner, who is a summer Olympian and as such, will not be competing, acknowledged the atmosphere of stress, but said "all this other political stuff kind of goes out the window when you're there and your sole focus is on competing as best as you can and enjoying that moment."
"Those [athletes] work so hard and they train so hard to get to that moment. So I think that it's imperative that they go there and they just enjoy the whole competition and not necessarily focus on anything on the outside."
In a statement, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said it "understands and respects" the government's decision and applauds the effort to "draw an important distinction between the participation of athletes and the participation of government officials."
Warner to defend decathlon title
Warner's focus is on his upcoming track and field season. He will be competing at the IAAF World Indoor Championship in Serbia in March and the World Athletics Championships in the United States in July.
He is also looking ahead a couple of years, and plans to defend his decathlon gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
"I don't know how you could top the feelings from winning your first Olympic gold medal," said Warner.
Warner has another goal on his list that he is working toward: he wants to be a world record holder in the decathlon. Kevin Mayer of France currently holds the record of 9,126 points, which he set in 2018. Warner scored 9,018 points in Tokyo.
"It's something that we're working really hard to," said Warner.
"As time goes on and as you achieve certain goals, you adapt and you change those and you're just always trying to be better and seeing what you can improve on and seeing where you can take the sport."
Written by Philip Drost. Produced by Ines Colabrese.
