Damian Warner sets Canadian heptathlon record to capture silver at world indoor track championships

Damian Warner set a Canadian indoor record and pushed hard in the 1,000-metre leg of the heptathlon, but it wasn't enough to lock up gold at the IAAF World Indoor Track and Field Championships from Birmingham, England on Saturday.

The London, Ont., native won the final event, clocking in at two minutes 37.12 seconds for 906 points, giving him a total of 6343, which broke Michael Smith's 25-year-old national record. His 1,000m time was also a personal best.

Damian Warner wins 1000m, secures silver in heptathlon

7 years ago

Duration 6:38

Warner crossed the line with the fastest time in the final discipline of the heptathlon, finishing five points back of the gold medal, and setting a new Canadian indoor record at the IAAF Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Great Britain.

But France's Kevin Mayer ran just fast enough, finishing fourth in the event and holding on to beat Warner by five total points for gold. Estonia's Maicel Uibo took bronze

Warner also finished first in the 60m hurdles, setting a season's best with a time of 7.67 seconds and placed seventh in pole vault at 4.90m.

Damian Warner: 'I laid it all out on the track'

7 years ago

Duration 1:55

Canadian heptathlete reflects on his silver medal performance at the IAAF Indoor Track and Field Championships in Birmingham, Great Britain.

Warner established personal bests in the 1000m, pole vault, high jump and shot put.

Canadian results

London, Ont., native Alysha Newman set a new national record in indoor pole vault, soaring to a height of 4.70m, good for a sixth place finish in the final. Her previous personal best was set last month in Fayetteville when she cleared 4.66. 

Johnathan Cabral of Peribonka, Que., advanced to Sunday's 60m hurdles semifinal after placing third in his heat with a time of 7.70.

Meanwhile, Calgary's Jenna Westaway did not advance to the 800m final, finishing fourth in her heat with a time of 2:03.91

Tomas Walsh wins shot put ... and bet

Don't bet against Tomas Walsh.

The New Zealander broke the oldest record belonging to the world indoor championships when he won the shot put on Saturday.

Walsh's final throw of 22.31m eclipsed the record of 22.24 set by Ulf Timmermann in 1987, five years before Walsh was born.

Canadian Tim Nedow placed ninth with a mark of 20.82.

The distance was also a personal best for Walsh — indoor and out — and cost his coach Dale Stevenson, who will have to sport huge sideburns for the rest of the year following a wager.

"I had to PB [personal best] and win for him to have mutton chops for nine months," a beaming Walsh told The Associated Press.

It was a second successive world indoor title for Walsh, who also won gold at the 2017 world championships and bronze in the 2016 Olympics.

Walsh and Stevenson also had a bet on the world championships and, after failing to beat his personal best in London, Walsh had to get a tattoo of his coach's choice.

While Walsh wouldn't divulge what tattoo he got, saying it was between him and Stevenson, he did reveal it had to be visible in "barbecue attire" and got it inked on his foot.

Walsh said the bets are a way to relieve the pressure of competition.

"We talk about it generally leading into big comps and what we want to kind of accomplish," he said. "It just adds a little bit more spice. We signal during the competition about it, how you feeling and talk about it. We really don't talk about anything else apart from the bet generally.