In shooting star Leo Neugebauer and European champion Niklas Kaul, two German medal contenders start on Friday (25.08.2023, 10.05 a.m., live ticker at sportschau.de) in the World Cup decathlon in Budapest. His experience speaks for title collector Kaul, and his carelessness for record holder Neugebauer.
Funny, chubby, easygoing. Apparently nothing can shake Leo Neugebauer. Nor that his luggage arrived in Budapest with a significant delay. At least he received the suitcase with his contact lenses on Wednesday (08/23/2023). But two days before the start of the World Championship competition, the spikes were still missing, and not all of them fit in the hand luggage of decathletes.
Especially not with shoe size 48.5 or 49, joked the shooting star and had the laughs on his side at the press conference. His teammates also enjoyed themselves. “Leo is more of an entertainer. He’s totally relaxed and does it here because he enjoys it and it’s good,” said Niklas Kaul.
I think if you are a good athlete you should be able to handle different situations.
Kaul: “He’s the top favourite”
From a German point of view, the German duel between newly promoted Neugebauer, who sensationally snatched the German record at the US College Championships this year, and European champion Kaul should be one of the highlights of the World Championships in Athletics in Budapest. Both have chances of medals, but the 2019 World Champion puts Neugebauer in the role of favourite: “He arrived as number one in the world. He’s the top favourite.”
With his national record of 8,836 points, Neugebauer is at the top of the world annual best list, Kaul is number ninth with his 8,484 points from Ratingen. The German trio is completed by Manuel Eitel, fourth in the European Indoor Championships, who scored 8,351 points in Götzis in May.
Neugebauer still sees room for improvement
Two years ago, Neugebauer, who was born in Görlitz, still had a personal best of less than 7,800 points. But at the university in Texas, where he has been studying economics for four years with his sports scholarship, he has matured into a world-class athlete. After tenth place in the World Championships last year in Eugene, he can now be at the top.
In his coup in his own stadium in Austin at the beginning of June, he set personal bests in the 100 m and 400 m as well as in the pole vault, long jump, discus and javelin throw and broke the 39-year-old German decathlon record set by Jürgen Hingsen. The competition showed him how much he still had, said the 23-year-old, who has his own YouTube channel: “Simply because it wasn’t a perfect decathlon.”
Kaul’s great strengths on the second day
Sounds confident. The two meter tall and almost 110 kilogram heavy giant is also a popular figure. After eight disciplines, Neugebauer was even the best all-around fighter of all time in his best competition to date. In the javelin throw and over 1,500 m, Kaul, who, unlike his teammate, is particularly strong on the second day (Saturday, August 26, 2023, live from 10.05 a.m. on the first and on sportschau.de), could snag over 600 points from him.
He is a great addition to our team. An open type that integrates silently and pleasantly. He’s not someone who wants to be the center of attention, but a totally modest and nice guy who immediately has sympathy.
The competition is strong
The 25-year-old title collector is always a contender for a top ranking – and can’t wait for things to get started. “The last few days before such a decathlon are not always that easy. You would like to get started, the body feels a little bit better every day,” he said. Meanwhile, Neugebauer is already enjoying the World Cup atmosphere. “I really absorb the energy from the people who are walking around here. You just meet Mondo Duplantis there,” he said and beamed.
However, the challenge will not be easy for either of them. Eight decathletes have already surpassed the 8,500 point mark this season. World record holder and defending champion Kevin Mayer from France has Achilles tendon problems and, as so often, has not competed.
Neugebauer: “Everything is possible”
Last but not least, his experience speaks for the Mainzer Kaul at the season highlight, for Neugebauer also his carefree attitude. “It’s about three World Cup medals. If I could get one of them and Leo is still better, that’s perfectly fine and right,” Kaul told ZDF. Neugebauer doesn’t give a damn about being a co-favourite. “I just do my thing. Anything is possible. I want to go out there, have fun and show what I can do.” With a new set of spikes that his parents will bring him on Thursday.