Pierce LePage - a new champion is born! (1)

For the general public and even the majority of people fans of combined events, Pierce LePage is the revelation of Decastar 2016. Just about 20 years old, the Canadian Pierce LePage nearly won the 40th edition the most prestigious meeting of combined events in the world, he who practices the decathlon specifically that for only 3 years. Ahead in the evening (in fact leading all days long) of the first day of Decastar, it is only during the final round of the "10 Labours of Hercules" that constitutes the 1 500m after a breathless suspense that the young Canadian was taken by both Olexiy Kasyanov (UKR) 8 077pts as well as Maicel Uibo (EST) 8 071pts who had to give both the best of themselves in the 1500m to return to the young Canadian prodigy.

By finishing third with 8027pts, Pierce LePage did not just settle for the 1st time the threshold of 8 000pts synonymous of a very high level in the decathlon, he also sent a very strong message to all the decathlonians competitors who apply and who aspire to participate in various international events in the coming years. Clearly, they will now have to count on Pierce LePage, he might even get in top shape for the Tokyo Olympics (JPN) in 4 years. Associated to Damian Warner, Canadian combined events are able to dream and see far.

Born January 1996 in Toronto, Pierce initially revealed himself in the triple jump in Toronto that year including improving twice the national academic record but his knees are not yet consolidated , he suffers and consequently it is towards combined events that his coaches lead him and they will not regret it. In high school, this extremely rigorous boy imposes a work rate particularly consistent. He gets up at 7am, trains at the University of York until 8pm and then does his homework late evening until midnight, "it is the bill you have to pay to ride on an Olympic podium" he said. With panache, Pierce LePage successful tests of different physical abilities and even wins, allowing him to access the prestigious RBC Training Ground of Toronto where he is currently based, since he never ceases to progress. Despite its large size, Pierce LePage is very fast as shown on his personal best in 100m 10''63, 200m and 400m in 20''83 and 47''64 all these performances have been established this season.

Despite his qualities of speed, he is experiencing technical problems or 110m hurdles personal best was done in Talence in 14''69 yet simply. The problem is technical, it is too near obstacles and transfer movement speed up rather than engaging horizontally. If he manages to increase its frequency while slightly reducing its stroke amplitude, he could be fast approaching the 14 ''. He has also still a lot of work to do in the field of aerobic where record at 1500m is 4'58''77 which caused him to lose the victory in the Decastar.

At jumps level, it is already particularly efficient in the long jump 7m74 and 2m06 than a year old high jump where he can still progress. This is the pole vault where he has the greatest possible progress or 4m90, it still has to earn valuable points, or as in the three throws, technically it is not yet developed. In shot put, his personal best is 14m18, 43m82 drive to launch the javelin and it has already launched to 48m88. From a physiological point seen it does not yet reached the age of maturity for recruiting force.

The challenge will be to take into explosive force general without it weakens muscle and tendon structure particularly long and thin. In fact, Pierce LePage in the room for improvement anywhere, now on a global scale, everyone is warned.

Wilfried Krantz for Decathlon 2000