Victor secures historic decathlon three-peat in Glasgow

GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC):

History was made at Scotstoun Stadium yesterday as Grenada’s Lindon Victor cemented his status as a Commonwealth Games immortal.

With a season’s best score of 8,096 points, Victor stormed to his third consecutive men’s decathlon title. The 33-year-old Grenadian produced a masterclass of consistency and grit over the gruelling 10-event decathlon.

While the scoreboard flashed 8,096, it was the number ‘three’ that told the true story.

Having triumphed on the Gold Coast in 2018 and in Birmingham in 2022, Victor now stands alone as the only decathlete in Commonwealth history to win three gold medals in a row.

Despite having his best discus throw being discounted after it was measured incorrectly, Victor’s season’s bests in the pole vault and javelin helped him stay far enough ahead of 2020 Olympic champion Damian Warner, who claimed the silver medal.

Warner, a legend in his own right, finished just 60 points adrift with a total of 8,036 points; however, the story of the night wasn’t just about the veterans.

In a stunning upset, India’s Tejaswin Shankar stormed to the bronze medal with a personal best score of 7,976 points. Shankar, who has been the rising star of Indian athletics, surpassed all pre-games predictions to deliver his nation a first decathlon medal since 2010.