Leo Neugebauer has surpassed Jürgen Hingsen’s decades-old German decathlon record. But the 22-year-old from LG Leinfelden-Echterdingen already has new goals.
The day after his breathtaking record, Leo Neugebauer still couldn’t believe that he has surpassed Jürgen Hingsen’s 39-year-old record. “What I did is just so blatant,” said the decathlete from LG Leinfelden-Echterdingen in an interview with SWR Sport. “I knew I was good, but that I was so am good? I surprised myself a bit.”
The trainer recognized Neugebauer’s potential even before the competition
However, his trainer seemed to have believed in this possibility before the 22-year-old college student started at the NCAA Division Championships in Austin, Texas: “Before the competition, my coach showed me: ‘Hey Leo, look : This is the best German who has ever lived.’ And I thought to myself: ‘Why are you showing me this? I won’t achieve it.'” He thought the German record was “untouchable”. He wasn’t. Leo Neugebauer knows that now too: “Now I’ve really made it. Awesome.”
Neugebauer’s new goals: the World Championships in Athletics in Budapest
The German super talent had already caused a sensation in March and, with a personal best of 8,478 points, met the norm for the World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Always keeping the record and Jürgen Hingsen in mind. “Of course, everyone knows Jürgen Hingsen. Every all-rounder who is pretty good knows the people who set the records.” Now he’s the one that others have in the back of their minds.
Neugebauer is already thinking about the next goal: the World Championships in Athletics from August 19th to 27th in Budapest. “I’m very, very excited for the World Cup.” The tenth of the world championships last year is one of the big competitors of ex-world champion and European Champion Niklas Kaul. In Hungary he wants to surpass himself again: “I calculated what I could do. Now in the competition there were still a few disciplines where I could definitely do more. I added them up and I still have a lot of breathing space up.”
German record for Neugebauer only one intermediate step
The boost from the German record definitely comes at the right time: “Definitely. Because now I know what I can do. And that gives me extra motivation to start there. That feels cool. “
Until then, the following applies: “Always just get a little bit better – in every discipline.” He was already able to do that “in six or seven disciplines” on Friday. Apparently only an intermediate step for Neugebauer: “My life goes on the same way. But I’m proud of myself.”
