RIO DE JANEIRO: United States star Ashton Eaton enjoyed a narrow 30-point lead over Canadian rival Damian Warner after the opening two events of the decathlon on Wednesday.
The American reigning Olympic champion is overwhelming favourite in Rio, unbeaten in combined events competition since the 2011 world championships in Daegu.
Since his triumph in London, Eaton has won four more world titles — two indoors and two outdoors — and has upped his decathlon world record to 9,045 points with his scintillating victory at last year’s Beijing world championships.
At a sun-kissed Olympic Stadium, Warner actually beat Eaton in the 100m, his 10.30 seconds a new Olympic record for the blue riband race staged as the opening act of the gruelling 10-discipline event.
Eaton clocked the second fastest time, 10.46sec, and took the lead after the long jump, where he managed a leading best of 7.94 metres to Warner’s 7.67.
That left him on 2,030 points, world silver medallist Warner 30pts adrift, with Germany Kai Kazmirek in third (1,892).
The decathletes tackle the shot put, high jump and 400m later Wednesday. Thursday sees them competing in the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500m.
