Canada's Damian Warner sets decathlon best in long jump at Gotzis, Austria, event

Canada's Damian Warner waves after an attempt in the men's pole vault of the heptathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Britain, Saturday, March 3, 2018. (Matt Dunham/AP Photo)

GOTZIS, Austria — Canada's Damian Warner set a world best in the long jump Saturday in his first decathlon since the 2019 world championships.

The 31-year-old from London, Ont., jumped 8.28 metres at the Hypo-Meeting to top American Ashton Eaton's mark of 8.23 set in 2012.

The mark was also a Canadian long jump record, topping Edrick Floreal effort of 8.20 metres set in 1991.

Warner was the leader after the first four events - 100 metres, long jump, shot put and high jump - with 3,773 points. Canadian Pierce LePage was second with 3,495.

Saturday's final event was the 400 metres. The schedule Sunday features the 110-metre hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1,500-metre run.

A decathlon world best is the top mark in history that is set within the 10-event decathlon.

Warner, who won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics, is aiming to be the first person to win six Hypo-Meeting titles.

The Hypo-Meeting is considered an unofficial world championship for multi-event athletes.

Warner's results come after a roller-coaster year that saw him locked out of his training facility at the University of Western Ontario due to COVID-19 safety protocols. Warner couldn't travel to the U.S. to train in the winter so his team, with the help of numerous volunteers, built an indoor training facility in the 66-year-old, unheated Farquharson Arena.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 29, 2021.