Decathlete LePage earns 1st international win at Hypo Meeting, halting Warner win streak

A Canadian has captured decathlon gold in Götzis, Austria for a seventh consecutive year but unlike the previous six titles won by Olympic champion Damian Warner, this time Pierce LePage was victorious. 

The Whitby, Ont., decathlete amassed 8,700 points, just a single point behind his personal best, to capture his first Hypo Meeting title. This is a continuation of consistent exceptional performances by LePage, who last summer won silver at worlds. 

"It's my first time winning Götzis. It's my first international win since 2019. Just great. The crowd was amazing," LePage said on the Austrian public broadcast after the win.

"Shout out to Damian. He definitely pushed me the entire way. He's the king of Götzis. Just because I won once, he's still the king."

Warner, in his return to competition after a hamstring injury last summer at the world championships placed second. He had won in Götzis a record seven times, including six consecutive going into this meet. 

"The better man won today," Warner said. 

"I've been telling people for a long time it's just a matter of time before Pierce LePage is on the big stage and is putting up big numbers and he's coming. And I'm coming with him."

After last summer's silver medal, at the same event Warner got injured, LePage took time to talk about how much respect he has for his fellow Canadian and how much he's learned from Warner over the years. They were supportive of each other at the Tokyo Olympics, with LePage having a front-row seat to Warner's Olympic win. LePage placed fifth.

"Damian is a great friend. A great competitor. Every meet I've gone to he's been there. He's the lead-by-example guy," LePage told CBC Sports last summer. 

It was a riveting two-day battle between the two