Damian Warner’s Olympic medal hopes end with no height in pole vault, withdraws from decathlon

One of Canada’s best bets for Olympic gold is out of medal contention after a stunning result.

Decathlete Damian Warner didn’t record a height in the pole vault, faulting on all three attempts at 4.60 metres in the eighth event of the competition on Saturday in Paris. The Canadian was second in the overall standings entering the event.

Team Canada later announced he would be withdrawing from the final two events of the decathlon. “Understandably, Damian and his team are devastated,” the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement.

Warner won Olympic gold in Tokyo three years ago and bronze in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

The native of London, Ont. improved to second place from fourth in the first two events Saturday, finishing first in the 110-metre hurdles and sixth in the discus to close within 78 points of leader Leo Neugebauer of Germany.

But disaster struck in the pole vault, where Warner has a personal best of 4.80 metres.

Canada was expected to be a double medal contender in decathlon, but reigning world champion Pierce LePage had to drop out with a back injury.

Warner’s medal chances seemed to increase on the eve of the competition when world-record holder Kevin Mayer of France dropped out with a hamstring injury.

Minutes before Warner faulted out, the same thing happened to Norway’s Sander Skotheim, who was in third place.