A last-minute injury has derailed Damian Warner’s hopes for his first title at the World Athletics Championships. The 2021 Olympic Champion withdrew from the decathlon in Tokyo Saturday morning due to a nagging Achilles injury, which worsened over the past few days. Warner explained on social media that he went for an MRI which showed swelling and fluid within the tendon but did not reveal a tear. He was in too much pain to continue and decided to pull out of the competition to “avoid risking further damage.” “I’m devastated, especially because I had been feeling so strong leading into this trip and was really looking forward to once again representing Canada on the world stage,” wrote Warner. This year’s competition is taking place in Japan’s National Stadium, where Warner won gold in a decathlon scoring record four years ago. He had been training for months at Western University prior to the games and told CTV London earlier this month how excited he was to get back on the track in Japan. Earlier this year he was battling a knee injury which held back his potential at the renowned Gotzis competition. “Thank you to my family, coaches and supporters for going out of their way to try and get me to the start line — competing is my passion, but I couldn’t navigate this journey without all of you in my corner,” Warner wrote. “I’ll be working hard to be back on the track soon.” “I look forward to watching the decathlon over the next couple days, and cheering on our Canadian athletes.” His friend and fellow decathlete Pierce LePage, who missed last year’s Paris Games with an injury, also withdrew after just four decathlon events. Warner stated he plans on getting back on the track and told CTV he believes he has a lot left in the tank. However, his coach Gar Leyshon foreshadowed an injury like this was all that was stopping him from being a potential champion. “If we get him there healthy and feeling good, I think everybody will see that he’s still the same guy,” Leyshon said prior to the games.
