Rio 2016: Ashton Eaton takes decathlon lead after three events

US star Ashton Eaton opened up a 95-point lead over Canadian rival Damian Warner after the opening three events of the Olympic Games decathlon on Wednesday.

The American reigning champion is overwhelming favourite in Rio, unbeaten in combined events competition since the 2011 world championships in Daegu.

Since his triumph in London in 2012, Eaton has won four more world titles — two indoors and two outdoors — and has upped his decathlon world record to 9,045 points with his scintillating victory at last year’s Beijing world championships.

At a sun-kissed Olympic Stadium, Warner actually beat Eaton in the opening 100m, his 10.30 seconds a new Olympic record for the blue riband race staged as the opening act of the gruelling 10-discipline event.

Eaton clocked the second fastest time, 10.46sec, and took the lead after the long jump, where he managed a leading best of 7.94 metres to Warner’s 7.67.

Eaton then went out to 14.73m in the shot put, the third event of the morning session held in scorching weather with temperatures hitting 37 Celsius.

That left Eaton 27 points down on world record pace, but way ahead of the Olympic record of 8,893.

It also gave him a total of 2,803 points, world silver medallist Warner 95pts adrift on 2,708, with France’s Kevin Mayer in third (2,699).