The decathlon is a major test for athletes. (ID
15241104
© Jamie Roach
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Dreamstime.com
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The decathlon is considered by many to be the ultimate test of an athlete.
There are ten events, done over two days. Each of them test a person's speed, strength, concentration, and endurance.
And after the 2023 World Track and Field Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the two best decathletes on Earth are Canadian!
Pierce LePage shows off the gold medal that he won in the decathlon. He's on top of the world! (Getty Embed)
Last Saturday, Pierce LePage won gold in the men's decathlon, while his national teammate Damien Warner took silver. Warner is the defending Olympic gold medalist in the event. Here is a list of the ten events in the decathlon.
- 100 metres
- Long jump
- Shot put
- High jump
- 400 metres
- 110 metres hurdles
- Discus throw
- Pole vault
- Javelin throw
- 1500 metres
More medals!
Camryn Rogers shows off her awesome power in the women's hammer throw. She won gold. (Getty Embed)
And those weren't the only events where Canadians succeeded. Canada won four golds in Budapest, the second highest total behind the seven the United States captured.
Marco Arop won the men's 800 metres race. And then Canada really "put the hammer down" winning gold in both the men's (Ethan Katzberg) AND women's (Camryn Rogers) hammer throw! (This is an event where athletes must attempt to launch a heavy steel ball as far as they can. It tests an athlete's strength and timing.)
Sarah Mitton also won a silver medal in shot put, another event that tests strength and accuracy. All of these athletes will be eager to repeat their successes at the next Summer Olympics, which will happen next year in Paris!
Hit the courts
Milos Raonic won a pair of matches earlier this month in Toronto. It was his first time playing in his hometown in four years. (Getty Embed)
Of course, if Paris 2024 feels like it's too far away, there is another international sporting event starting today that you can check out.
The US Open tennis tournament in New York!
This is the final grand slam event of the tennis season. And though the number of Canadians involved is a bit smaller than in years past, there are some big stories to follow.
The top-ranked Canadian involved is Felix Auger-Aliassime, who went to the US Open semifinal in 2021. Though Felix had an amazing 2022, this year has not been great. He's hoping to turn his year around starting right now.
On the women's side, Rebecca Marino and Leylah Annie Fernandez will be competing. Fernandez went to the US Open final in 2021. But like Felix, she has been struggling with inconsistent play this year. Sounds like another player eager to take advantage of some happy memories in the Big Apple!
Leylah Fernandez had an incredible US Open in 2021, making it all the way to the final. She's hoping to do even better this year! (Getty Embed)
But maybe the interesting Canadian in this event is Milos Raonic. Once the world's number three ranked player and a former Wimbledon finalist, Raonic is the player that really got Canadians believing that they could produce good tennis players. But after some difficult seasons with injury, the 32-year-old took two years off and looked to be retired.
Amazingly, he returned this summer at Wimbledon and has been slowly making his way back to the court. How long will he play? No one is sure, not even Milos. Which means that this US Open could be his last grand slam.
Sounds like a good reason to tune in!
