TOKYO: Canada’s Damian Warner closed the first day of the Olympic decathlon on Wednesday in top spot, with fancied French rival Kevin Mayer in fifth after complaining of back problems. Warner, 31, is a seasoned campaigner, having finished in the top five at the past six outdoor global championships, picking up Olympic bronze in 2016 as well as world silver in 2015 and world bronze in 2013 and 2019. He opened up with a startling world decathlon best of 10.12 seconds in the 100 metres at a baking hot Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium. Mayer timed 10.68sec and then managed a best of 7.50 metres in the long jump but Warner soared out to 8.24m — enough to have won him bronze in the individual long jump event. The Frenchman recouped some points first in the shot put, throwing 15.07m compared to Warner’s 14.80m, and then in the high jump, clearing 2.08m as the Canadian managed 2.02. In the final event, the 400m, Warner clocked 47.48sec for a total of 4,722 points. Australian Ashley Mooney sat second on 4,641pts, with Canadian Pierce Lepage third on 4,641.