Decathlete Niklas Kaul reaches for gold at the home European Championships in Munich – after a very strong javelin throw at 76.05 m, the 24-year-old is the favorite in the final 1500 m race.
Before the final, Kaul is in third place with 7664 points and is 178 points behind the leader Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, but the ex-world champion is considered to be a much better runner. The Estonian Janek Oiglane is also involved in the exciting fight for the medals.
Kai Kazmirek is sixth (7513). The disqualification of defending champion Arthur Abele after an alleged false start over the 110 m hurdles was lifted after a protest by the German team. The Ulmer was given the opportunity to catch up on the sixth discipline to the cheers of the fans. Abele is 15th in his last decathlon of his career (6988). Tim Nowak had to end the competition due to circulatory problems.
World record holder and world champion Kevin Mayer had to give up after the 100 m due to injury. Only the Frenchman was ahead of Kaul in the entry list, who finished sixth at the World Championships in Eugene three weeks ago with 8434 points. “What helps me here is that I have the audience with me. It was different in Eugene,” said Kaul: “Hopefully that will carry me a bit on the second day, it’s nice to be the hunter.”
Three years ago in Doha, Kaul became the youngest world champion in history with 8691 points, even then he rolled up the field from behind.