Canadians Warner, Theisen-Eaton lead Hypo Meeting on 1st day

GOETZIS, Austria – Canadian decathlete Damian Warner built a slim 7-point lead over Germany’s Kai Kazmirek on the opening day of the Hypo Meeting, while fellow Canadian Brianne Theisen-Eaton led the women’s heptathlon after four events.

Warner, from London, Ont., gathered 4,424 points after winning the opening 100 metres in 10.15 seconds, the fastest time in the 42-year history of the competition in the Austrian Alps. Last year’s winner Kazmirek won the concluding 400 in 47.01 to stay close to Warner.

Jeremy Taiwo of the United States, who won the high jump with a 2.18-meter effort, trailed Warner by 51 points in third.

World bronze medallist Rico Freimuth had three invalid attempts at the long jump, destroying the German’s chances to qualify this weekend for the Olympics. His final opportunity to make the German squad for Rio de Janeiro will be at a meeting in Ratingen, Germany on June 25-26.

World record holder and Olympic champion Ashton Eaton skipped the event in order to focus on the U.S. trials next month.

In the women’s competition, Theisen-Eaton ran a personal best of 23.33 in the 200 metres, the final event of the opening day.

The native of Humbodt, Sask.,, who won the competition in 2013 and again last year, gathered 3,972 points for a 40-point lead over Britain’s Katerina Johnson-Thompson, also a former winner here. Carolin Schaefer of Germany was 10 points further back in third.

Johnson-Thompson won the 200 in 22.79 for her third personal best of the day, after also setting best marks in 100 hurdles and high jump.

The meet ends Sunday.