European Championships
Sensational final run: Niklas Kaul wins gold in the decathlon
Niklas Kaul throwing the javelin
© Sven Hoppe / DPA
A sensation: Niklas Kaul snatched the gold medal from Simon Ehammer from Switzerland after an outstanding 1500 meter run at the end of the decathlon.
Decathlon ace Niklas Kaul won the gold medal at the European Championships in Munich after a sensational final sprint. The 24-year-old celebrated the second major triumph of his career after the 2019 World Cup coup. With 8545 points, he won on Tuesday ahead of the Swiss Simon Ehammer, who scored 8468 points.
The man from Mainz was still in seventh place before the last two disciplines, but still managed the surprising turnaround with 76.05 meters in the javelin throw and a strong 1500-meter dash in a personal best time of 4:10.04 minutes. The former world championship third Kai Kazmirek from the LG Rhein-Neuwied came in eighth with 8151 points.
With his European title win, Kaul succeeded Arthur Abele, who triumphed in Berlin three years ago and was celebrated in the last decathlon of his career. The 36-year-old from Ulm was initially disqualified in the hurdle sprint because of an alleged false start, but was allowed to continue fighting after a successful protest. Abele did not get past 15th and last place with 7662 points.