Defending champion Niklas Kaul had an average start in Eugene’s World Championship decathlon.
After three disciplines, the 24-year-old from Mainz is in 20th place among 21 athletes still in competition and with 2407 points 49 points below his intermediate mark in the triumph of Doha 2019.
Kaul ran the 100m in 11.22 seconds and stayed five hundredths above his personal best. When he won the title in Doha, Kaul ran 11.27. In the long jump (7.09) and shot put (14.52) he remained below his level of 2019. Kaul traditionally has a very strong second day and should still catch up significantly.
The Canadian Olympic champion Damian Warner (2846) is in the lead ahead of the American Zach Ziemek (2756). The French world record holder Kevin Mayer (2680) sorted himself into fifth place for the time being.
The best of the four German starters is US student Leo Neugebauer in ninth place (2611). Kai Kazmirek, third at the World Championships in 2017, is 13th (2497). Tim Nowak is still behind Kaul in 21st place (2367).