European Athletics Competition - Kaul Identifies Decathlon Flaws as He Races to Paris
Before achieving success at the Paris Olympics, Niklas Kaul, the former European decathlon champion, must focus on shorter distances. At the Athletics European Championships, he finished in fourth place and experienced a less-than-ideal complete decathlon this year.
Kaul will put extra effort into improving his sprint skills, as he lost valuable points in both events during his performance in Rome. "I don't know when I've ever felt this helplessness, with such poor high jumps," said the 26-year-old from Mainz. "This can't happen again, so we're going to work on it until it's better in Paris."
Although he acknowledges the mistakes that led to a missed medal opportunity, the decathlete from Mainz highlights the bright side of his experience, stating, "In reality, I've never reached a score of 8547 before."
Kaul also believes he may set a new personal best at the upcoming Olympics, with a goal of surpassing his existing record of 8691 points that he achieved in the 2019 World Championships. However, he does recognize the presence of strong competitors, such as Estonia's Johannes Erm, who obtained 8764 points at the European Championships. Yet, the German record holder Leo Neugebauer, who just set a new collegiate record of 8961 points in the USA, is currently the leading favorite for the Olympic title.
Kaul recognizes the challenges still ahead: "There are still a few more athletes participating, but my plan is not to break the 8'600 barrier again." The athlete attributes his weaknesses in the decathlon to a lack of competition experience.
Despite experiencing muscle cramps after the final 1500 meters, Kaul seemed poised and optimistic, claiming that the feelings may be attributed to the sense of accomplishment gained from competing: "Perhaps it's the endorphins coursing through the body since I've achieved it." Furthermore, he expressed good health, noting the absence of any injuries during his competitive season.
