As the competitors ran out of steam at the final 1500 meters, Niklas Kaul began to float. At least that's how it was, as his lead got bigger with each step. In fact, he ran this final act quickly, but fairly evenly. No loss of control. After 4: 15.70 minutes he had mastered this last of ten disciplines. Exhausted he fell to the finish to the ground. As world champion in decathlon (8691 points).
It's a performance between surprise and sensation. Kaul did not want to be so specific, so the 21-year-old said: "It feels very surreal." He had thought that the day would be good. But so good? "I never expected that." Now he is "much happier". Then he tried to analyze what had happened. "I've done discipline for discipline." It almost sounded like the decathlon was some kind of office job. Anyone can do it.
The decathlon is the sport of kings. Whoever is here, is an all-rounder, decathletes must master the whole range of athletics: running full sprint, jump high and fly far, throwing discus and spear. Above all, decathletes must be able to hold on, in Doha began the competition on Wednesday and ended in the night on Friday at 0.30 clock local time. Pain is almost always a topic. Kaul plagued stomach ache during the competition, then ate more and drank less water. In the heat of Qatar that did not really sound like a good therapy.
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Niklas Kaul: "Not the best decathlete, but the most consistent"Kaul has traveled to this World Cup as a great talent. This year, the teacher's student had won the European Championship, but at the U23 juniors. Three years earlier he had become U20 World Champion. Kaul is considered a big promise for the future, but that the future would begin in Qatar? "Nobody expected that," said his team-mate Kai Kazmirek later. He also spoke of a "very mature and very down to earth" athlete.
When Mayer failed, the catch-up started
This matriculation certificate Kaul laid in the eighth discipline, the pole vault. He had just skipped the crossbar at five meters, quite confidently even - to finish this competition then without further attempt. Why give away power, if he can still play his great strength yet? The true demonstration of power this evening followed with the javelin, the penultimate competition. When Kaul got there in the first attempt on 75.42 meters, began the big calculations: Is perhaps bronze possible?
But in the second attempt, the spear flew even further, at 79.05 meters he landed - in the decathlon a historic best. Now it was clear: It's about gold, Kaul knew that. "Maybe you'll never get that chance again," he had thought at that moment, and for graduation, he said to himself: "Now you have to give everything." That sounds so easy, but even "giving everything" is sometimes not enough in this competition to pass the ten exams. Nobody knew better than Kevin Mayer that night.
Dylan Martinez / REUTERS
Favorite Kevin Mayer quit in tears from the competition
Mayer is the world record holder in the decathlon, he was also scheduled for the World Cup title in Qatar and he was even in the lead in the afternoon hours. But then his day ended prematurely, with tears in the pole vault. The Frenchman had to give up with pain on the Achilles tendon. "I was so angry that I had to cry," said Mayer. Both days he had suffered "bad pain", but at some point he even tormented him small Tippelschritte. "I could not take it anymore," he said, and the 27-year-old added, "But this is decathlon."
"Nobody expected a medal here"
The decathlon is full of dramas, and with Niklas Kaul he got his youngest world champion in history, the first German since Torsten Voss in 1987. A World Champion who looked very calm and thoughtful even in this great moment. Other competitions had been more difficult, said Kaul despite an impressive catch-up (after the first day only eleventh), the pressure had been greater elsewhere. "I had to win the titles in my youth but nobody expected a medal here." He would not now call himself the best decathlete, "but perhaps the most consistent."
In the end he was even a small lead ahead of Maicel Uibo from Estonia (8604 points) and the Canadian Damian Warner (8529).
For the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020 Kaul now wants to get more out in all categories, get better everywhere, the focus must be on training. This advice was given to him by his role model Asthon Eaton, who has now retired from professional sports Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016. Not just the worst decathlete from which Niklas Kaul can still learn.
