World champion decathlete Pierce LePage won’t compete at Canadian Olympic trials

MONTREAL — World champion decathlete Pierce LePage has received a medical exemption and won’t compete this week at the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic track and field trials.

LePage, considered one of Canada’s biggest podium contenders for this summer’s Paris Games, won world championship gold last year and silver in 2022.

Athletes hoping to be nominated to the Canadian Olympic or Paralympic team must compete at trials but can receive a written medical exemption from the Athletics Canada Chief Medical Officer (CMO).

The CMO will only grant exemptions if the athlete has sustained an injury or illness that prevents them from competing, Athletics Canada’s nomination procedure guidelines state.

The 28-year-old LePage from Whitby, Ont., also missed the Hypo Meeting in Götzis, Austria, in May.

The trials take place Wednesday through Sunday at Claude-Robillard sports complex. Fellow decathlete and reigning Olympic champion Damian Warner will compete in the 400-metre, 110 hurdles and long jump this week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press