Decathlon: German-Swiss international understanding between Kaul and Ehammer

Created: 08/14/2022, 15:11

By: Nico-Marius Schmitz

Checked out the Olympic Stadium: Niklas Kaul (left) and Simon Ehammer (right) – our newspaper was there.

© private

The two decathletes Niklas Kaul and Simon Ehammer enjoy the Olympic Park during the European Championships in Munich.

Munich – Most of the time you see the kings of athletics suffer for two days.

But when the decathletes Niklas Kaul and Simon Ehammer sit in a wooden lounge above the small Olympic Hall on Friday evening, there is a lot of laughter.

On Monday and Tuesday, the most versatile athletes will hold their competitions in the Olympic Stadium, with Frenchman Kevin Mayer being the big favourite.

And before?

“There is a lot of positive energy here that I can take with me.

It's like a festival.

I want to soak it all up," Ehammer told our newspaper.

Kaul (24) agrees.

On Saturday he wants to see everything in the Olympic Park, collect positive impressions, and from Sunday noon things will gradually calm down.

And from Monday: suffer.

“You torment yourself for two days.

And everyone who starts also suffers,” says Ehammer.

For the Swiss, this has a unifying effect among the decathletes, everyone is happy for everyone: "Surely nobody was angry that I jumped 8.45 ...", says Ehammer, before Kaul "Yes, I!" shot out comes.

With a smile, of course.

Ehammer jumped the 8.45 meters in May.

And thus improved the long jump world record in the decathlon by 15 centimeters.

The 22-year-old won bronze at the World Championships in Eugene.

It was the first medal by a decathlete in an individual event.

Where is the performance explosion coming from?

Maybe through girlfriend Tatjana Meklau?

Kaul has to laugh out loud, Ehammer grins, but Ehammer always grins sympathetically anyway.

The performance did not come as a surprise to him.

He had always believed himself capable of the vastness.

Of course, the family and girlfriend still give strength: “They are the ones who have to put up with me.

With the competitions, I can give something back to them.” Kaul, father and mother form the coaching team, sees it the same way: “Most of my family will be there for the first time.

Competitive sport would not be possible without this family environment.

You need people who understand why you can be underground three or four days before the all-around.”

Luckily, this is not the case with conversations.

The big question remains: Which of the two ends up ahead?

"Of course: Simon on the first day and me on the second day," says Kaul.

"And then we'll see," says Ehammer.

And grins towards the Olympic Stadium.

NICO MARIUS SCHMITZ