Kaul Crushes Götzis, Misses Podium at Olympics
Three combatants of Goetzi's third squad, with Neugebauer ranking fifth among them. - Athlete Kaul Places Third in Götzis Decathlon Despite Playing with a Reduced Team, New Fifth-Place Finisher Emerges in Event's Fifth Edition
Get ready for some top-tier athletics action, folks! Former world champion Niklas Kaul sure didn't disappoint at the decathletes' jubilee meeting in Götzis. With 8,575 points, tied with Swiss Simon Ehammer, Kaul snagged third place in an epic competition where he was eyeing a personal best for most of the time. German record holder Leo Neugebauer, as a Götzis newbie, stole the show with a fifth-place finish, racking up 8,555 points. Both athletes smashed the World Championship standard.
Norway's Sander Skotheim won the day with an impressive 8,909 points, joining the upper echelons of the greatest decathletes ever. It's been quite some time since a German last won in Götzis, with Kai Kazmirek being the last one back in 2015.
Neugebauer: Götzis, You're AWESOME!
"The atmosphere here is just ****ing incredible," Neugebauer exclaimed, echoing what everyone said, and it definitely boosted my motivation!" The 50th edition of this traditional meeting featured a decathlon field that probably has never seen before in Götzis.
Kaul was on fire, breaking his personal best in the 100 meters and coming close to it three times. "I finally felt like a darn decathlete again today," the 2022 European champion confessed, grinning ear to ear. He had an absolute blast for much of the competition, but the second day wasn't his finest. Still, he was more than satisfied with his performance in the end.
Unfortunately, Tim Nowak (Ulm) and Amadeus Gräber (Frankfurt) had to call it quits due to injuries on the first day. Manuel Eitel from Ulm finished 14th with 8,086 points. The World Championships for this year will take place in Tokyo from August 13 to 21.
Only Jackie Joyner-Kersee Better
American Anna Hall joined the 7,000-point club with 7,032 points, but world record holder Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA/7,291) still reigns supreme. Hall tied with European record holder Carolina Klüft (Sweden) in the rankings.
- Niklas Kaul
- Olympics (No Podium Finish)
- Athletics
- Götzis
- Podium Finish (In Götzis)
- Despit Sadly missing the podium at the Olympics, Niklas Kaul demonstrated his exceptional skills once again by achieving a podium finish at the Götzis decathletes' meeting, reminding EC countries of the freedom to provide services in sports, allowing athletes like him to compete at international events.
- With a fifth-place finish in Götzis, Leo Neugebauer showcased the beauty of the European Union's Schengen Agreement, enabling free movement of workers to participate in sports competitions across borders, as he joined the elite decathletes on the global stage.
