Damian Warner Looking for Gold at 2021 Tokyo Games

Friday, 30 July 2021 at 12:59

Damian Warner is hoping for a gold medal at the Tokyo Games. He has strong ties to Woodstock, as his in-laws include local MP Dave MacKenzie and Woodstock/Oxford Councillor Deb Tait.

One of the most decorated Olympic Athletes at these games has strong ties to Oxford County. Damien Warner will be competing next week and is the current World Record Holder for Decathlon.

Warner won bronze at the Rio Olympics in decathlon and gold at the Pan Am games in 2015. He had to take 2020 off, just like everyone else because of the pandemic. In May, he won gold for a sixth time at Götzis. He currently is the World Record holder for decathlon in the long jump (8.28m) and 110m hurdles (13.36s) and holds several national records as well.

You can read more about his bio online here.

Warner has ties to Oxford County. His in-laws include Oxford County MP Dave MacKenzie, who is the great grandfather to his son Theo and Woodstock City and Oxford County Councillor Deb Tait, who is his partners aunt.

Warner's has been with Jen Cotten since 2012, she is a world class athlete herself and normally goes to the events with him. She says it will different watching him on tv this year.

"It is definitely a bummer to be home, but it is nice to have team Warner in London, it is a huge contingent of people who will be cheering for Damian. We are going to get together and watch in a group for most of his events, he is competing quite a bit, it will be a lot evenings and early mornings for us, but it is going to be a different kind of fun."

Jenn and Damian's son is only 4 months old, so she might have been up for those early morning events anyway's. Tait says she is taking next week off, so she doesn't miss anything.

"We are all very proud of Damian-the entire family has always followed him whatever county/meet he is in. We are all over the place, Jen's two sisters are out west, one in Vancouver other in Canmore and my sister is in Ottawa, so we normally all text each other as the events each take place. Very exciting but also vey stressful. I took my boys to the Pan Am when they were in Toronto. He is not only an amazing athlete considering he has 10 events in 2 days but one of the nicest people you could meet."

Warner's first competition is coming up on Tuesday.