Lindon Victor wins Decathlon Discus Throw and notches personal best in Pole Vault in a Decathlon; scores 8,240pts for silver behind Olympic bronze medalist, Damian Warner, who also trains in Santa Barbara during the winter and early spring
Lima, Peru (August 7, 2019) – In cold, breezy conditions during Peru’s winter, Santa Barbara Track Club’s (SBTC) and Grenadian, Lindon Victor stood out among a strong Pan American Games field to earn a silver medal, his first international medal of 2019 and second senior medal of his career (he was 2018 Commonwealth Games Champion). From the 100m, the first event of the day on Tuesday afternoon, Victor was neck and neck with Canadian, Pierce Lepage, but ultimately Victor’s strength in the throwing events earned him 8,240pts overall, outlasting Lepage’s 8,161pts. Damian Warner (CAN), the current world leader in the Decathlon and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist defended his Pan American Games title leading from start to finish and a total of 8,513pts.
From left to right: Victor, Warner & Lepage
Victor was consistent throughout the two-day competition finishing in the top three in seven of ten events. In the Long Jump, the second event of the competition, he was an inch shy of his personal best into a -1.6 meter headwind, leaping 7.39m / 24’3”. He would also win the Discus, the competition’s 7th event, with a throw of 50.83m / 166’9”. Victor would follow that up in the next event equalling his personal best and Grenadian record, setting a Decathlon best in the Pole Vault with a leap of 4.90m / 16’3.25”. Heading into the final two events, the Javelin Throw and 1500m, he trailed Lepage by 87pts.
In the Javelin Throw, Victor is one of the strongest competitors in the world and although off of his season’s best, he still threw 62.26m / 204’3”, good enough to move into 2nd place by 29pts. He would hold onto his silver medal position with a 4:53.15 1500m to Lepage’s 5:01.67.
Victor’s silver medal marked SBTC’s first medal at the Pan American Games and second international medal after Barbara Nwaba’s bronze medal in the Pentathlon at the 2017 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Next up for Victor will be the IAAF World Championships in Qatar held from September 28 – October 6. He is currently ranked 3rd in the world with 8,473pts set at the Götzis Hypo-Meeting where he also finished behind Warner.
About the Santa Barbara Track Club
The Santa Barbara Track Club (SBTC) hosted at Westmont College aims to provide a pathway to the podium for athletes of all ages and abilities. The SBTC is comprised of Olympic and aspiring Olympic Track & Field athletes, a Youth Track Club as well as community members seeking to reach their highest potential through group and private training.