Gold medallist has strong ties to hometown London, Ont.

London, Ont. -

London, Ont.’s latest gold medallist truly has his roots firmly planted in the Forest City.

Using local coaches and facilities, Damian Warner made it to the top of the decathlon world by winning the gold at the Tokyo games.

Eleven years ago he was featured as one of CTV News London’s Athletes of the Week, with aspirations of making it to the world stage and now he has delivered.

“Everybody saw what potential he had and how unbelievable he was,” says one of his coaches, Dave Collins. “Everybody knew that the stars would eventually align and this would happen.”

Coach Gar Leyshon accompanied Damian to the games in Japan, but Collins and Coach Dennis Nielsen stayed behind in London.

“He was a diamond in the rough, but Gar and I knew right off the hop that he was special,” says Nielsen. “He just had that much athleticism.”

Prior to the games in Tokyo, Warner did not have access to the most sophisticated training facilities because during the COVID-19 pandemic he was working out inside the old Farquharson Arena in south London.

“It felt like Rocky IV if you’ve ever seen it -- training in a cold, old hockey arena,” says Collins. “You know the other athletes were training in pristine conditions and here we are trying to put things together to make it work and the community made it work.”

Warner’s long-time business manager Jeff Fischer says after getting gold he expects things to heat up even more.

“You know we have great soccer players and swimmers and hockey players but when it comes down to the basics of run, jump and throw, he is the best in the world and we shouldn’t be ashamed to say that because he is.”

So many elite athletes leave where they grew up to train in hopes of becoming the best. But Warner stayed with the hometown coaches and facilities that lifted him to world class success.

And Nielsen says he’s not done yet, “I don’t think we’ve seen the best yet of Damian Warner, I think when he retires from decathlon he will be revered as the best decathlete the world has ever seen.”