Decathlete eyes Olympics

Photo: Instagram

Kelowna athlete James Turner is competing this weekend at a prestigious international track meet in Talence, France.

The Okanagan Athletics Club is competing in decathlon at the Decastar meet, an IAAF World Challenge Series event that attracts up to 10,000 spectators.

Turner is currently the second-ranked decathlete in Canada, behind Pan Am champion and world silver medallist and Canadian record holder Damian Warner.

He's looking to improve on his best performance of 7,773 points and continues to pursue the Olympic qualification standard of 8,100 points.

The decathlon is a unique event in track and field, with 10 contested over a two-day period. Day 1 begins with he 100 metres, then moves on to the long jump and shot put, after which athletes high jump. Day 1 is concluded with the 400 metres. Day 2 begins with the 110-metre hurdles, then goes on to the discus, pole vault and javelin. And, if all of that wasn't enough, the decathlon concludes with a 1,500-metre race.

Turner trains 25-30 hours a week, often multiple times a day, says OAC head coach Pat Sima-Ledding.

"James has been working very hard and has extended his season to be set to score big at the Decastar," says Sima-Ledding.

Turner is also a University of Toronto student and a member of the Varsity Blues track and field team. During the CIS season, he was OUA champion in the indoor pentathlon, setting a record with his 4,090-point performance. He was also 2015 CIS champion in the indoor pentathlon, scoring 4,077 points.

In July, he represented Canada at the World Universiade, in Gwangju, Korea, earning a fifth-place finish. He returned to Kelowna to continue training in preparation for the Decastar.

"It's crucial for elite athletes to compete at the highest level of their sport to prepare themselves for the ultimate goal of competing at the Olympics," Sima-Ledding added.