GÖTZIS, AUSTRIA, May 30–31 — The closest foreign country here is Switzerland less than 10 miles away, but no Swiss athlete had ever won a title at the Hypo Meeting in the previous 50 editions.
Simon Ehammer and Annik Kälin both changed that in setting world-leading Swiss records to win this year’s decathlon and heptathlon. And for each the long jump was a special element.
Decathlon
Ehammer hasn’t given up the long jump, but he’s become ever more serious in the combined events. His last multi was a WR 6670 to win the World Indoor heptathlon in March, and his last full decathlon was here last year with a Swiss record 8575 in tying for 3rd.
He didn’t enter as the favorite — his 8575 was just tenth on the list of entrant PR scores — as world champ Leo Neugebauer was given that role.
Still, Ehammer commanded attention. At the pre-meet press conference he stated his intention: “We are now focusing on being better everywhere than last year. Then a very good result will definitely come out of it.”
The event started in familiar fashion as 8-time Götzis champion Damian Warner led the 100 at 10.28; the 36-year-old was 0.13 faster than the next-fastest runner, who happened to be Ehammer in a solid 10.41 (not a PR but 37 points better than the 10.57 he ran here last year). Neugebauer ran 10.76, off the 10.66 he ran here last year but faster than the 10.80 he clocked in Tokyo.
Then came the long jump, Ehammer’s bread and butter. After a first-round foul he soared a lifetime best 27-11 (8.51) to break his own decWR of 27-8¾ (8.45), set here in 2022. Neugebauer also jumped well, his 26-1¾ (7.97) just off his PR 26-3 (8.00). Ehammer took the overall lead — one he would not relinquish — at 2190 followed by Warner (who jumped 25-4½/7.73) at 2020 and Neugebauer at 1968.
The shot put is Neugebauer territory, and he was tops at 54-10 (16.71) to cut into Ehammer’s overall lead, but perhaps not enough as that was short of his yearly best 55-6¼ (16.92) — and his PR 57-3½ (17.46). Ehammer hit an outdoor PR 49-8½ (15.15) as his overall lead dropped from 170 to 126 points (2989–2863, now over Neugebauer instead of Warner).
Neugebauer made up ground in the high jump as well, clearing a near-outdoor PR 6-9 (2.06). Ehammer’s best was 6-8 (2.03) as his lead was reduced to 98 points, 3820–3722.
Day 1’s closing 400 saw Warner outduel Neugebauer, 47.77 to 47.99, in the penultimate section. In the final race the U.S. duo of Harrison Williams and Hakim McMorris went 1-2 in 46.82 and 47.09 before Ehammer crossed the line in 47.33.
That was off his PR 47.18, but fast enough to give him a Day 1 world best total of 4762 to surpass the 4747 by Dan O’Brien in 1991. Ehammer’s lead over Neugebauer improved to 130 points, 4762–4632.
Ehammer started Day 2 impressively, winning the 110 hurdles in 13.48, his fastest in a decathlon. His lead ballooned to 271 points over Neugebauer (14.57), 5805–5534.
Neugebauer owns a clear edge in the discus as holder of the decWR at 189-4 (57.70); Ehammer’s PR is 140-2 (42.72), modest enough to seed him in Group B here. Neugebauer predictably cut well into Ehammer’s lead — now 72 points at 6492-6420 – but as in the shot put maybe it wasn’t enough as Ehammer’s 134-9 (41.09) was much closer to his PR than Neugebauer’s 166-7 (50.77) was to his WDR.
The pole vault is a pivotal event in any decathlon, and here the leaders had nearly identical bests — Ehammer 17-6½ (5.35), Neugebauer 17-4½ (5.30). Ehammer was two bars better today — 17-¾ (5.20) to 16-4¾ (5.00) — as his lead went up to 134 points, 7464–7330.
The javelin took some attention off Ehammer and Neugebauer as 2019 world champ Niklas Kaul twice surpassed the meeting best, topped by a heave of 256-7 (78.21). American Heath Baldwin PRed at 238-2 (72.60).
Among the leaders, Neugebauer’s javelin PR is 211-1 (64.34), while Ehammer’s best is 183-8 (55.98). Neugebauer won the head-to-head here, 191-9 (58.46) to 178-5 (54.38) to close Ehammer’s overall lead to 73 points, 8118–8045.
That 73-point differential equated to about 6.6 seconds in the 1500, where Neugebauer owns a PR more than 10 seconds faster (4:31.89 to 4:42.54). Surprisingly, Neugebauer sat behind Ehammer until the last lap, but his final time of 4:39.33 wasn’t enough to catch Ehammer, who ran 4:43.22 to seal the final tallies of 8778 for Ehammer (a new Swiss record by 203 points) and 8730 for Neugebauer.
Heptathlon
Kälin entered with the second-highest PR at 6639 — 68 points behind Noor Vidts’ 6707 that kept Kälin off the Paris Olympic podium. For the Swiss, this was her first heptathlon since was last year’s Götzis, where she finished fifth at 6395. She has concentrated more on the long jump, even earning silver at last year’s World Indoor.
But there were other viable challengers, including American Taliyah Brooks, who led after the 100 hurdles in 12.87 as Kälin was next in 12.91, her second-fastest ever. Brooks continued to lead Kälin after two events as both had solid high jumps of 5-9¾ (1.77) and 5-8½ (1.74).
The shot put generated a new overall leader in World Indoor pentathlon champ Sophie Dokter, who PRed at 48-2¾ (14.70). The Dutchwoman then topped the 200 at 23.13, a PR by 0.33, to take a commanding Day 1 lead at 3969. That put her 110 points clear of Kälin, the closest pursuer with Brooks, Dutch Emma Oosterwegel and German Vanessa Grimm bunched within 12 points behind.
Things changed dramatically in Day 2’s first event, the long jump. World Champs bronze medalist Brooks’ first attempt saw her hit the board awkwardly with a foul then follow her landing with a summersault in the pit, which she exited with a limp. She tried a second jump but ran through and withdrew from the competition.
Meanwhile, Kälin was more than a foot better than anyone else, opening with a near-outdoor PR 22-4¼ (6.81) followed by a windy 22-10 (6.96), the farthest all-conditions leap in meet history, pushed by a 2.2mps breeze. She grabbed the overall lead at 5018, 52 points ahead of Dokter, who was solid at 21-2¾ (6.47), with Oosterwegel another 147 points back despite a near-PR 20-11¾ (6.39).
Kälin’s lead grew to 76 points after the javelin, but the closest pursuer became Oosterwegel, whose 172-3 (52.50) among the leading trio topped Kälin (148-5 [45.25]) and Dokter (144-4 [44.00]).
Oosterwegel led the 800 in a near-PR 2:09.19 but it wasn’t enough to catch Kälin (2:11.72), who won by 21 points at 6726 in improving the Swiss record by 87 points. Oosterwegel (6705) and the rest of the top-6 all PRed. The PR parade totaled 12, including top American Lexie Keller, whose 6249 score was a 177-point improvement.
“It feels incredible to break through,” said Kälin. “I was thrilled to get my rhythm back in the multi-events and push limits across both days of competition.”
GÖTZIS DECATHLON RESULTS
1. Simon Ehammer (Swi) 8778 NR (WL) (10.41, 27-11/8.51 [NR, WDR], 49-8½/15.15, 6-8/2.03, 47.33, 13.48, 134-9/41.09, 17-¾/5.20, 178-5/54.38, 4:43.22);
2. Leo Neugebauer (Ger) 8730 (10.76, 26-1¾/7.97, 54-10/16.71, 6-9/2.06, 47.99, 14.57, 166-7/50.77, 16-4¾/5.00, 191-9/58.46, 4:39.33);
3. Niklas Kaul (Ger) 8528 (11.30, 23-3¼/7.09, 49-11/15.21, 6-6¾/2.00, 48.42, 14.51, 154-8/47.14, 16-¾/4.90, 256-7/78.21, 4:23.67);
4. Damian Warner (Can) 8497 (10.28, 25-4½/7.73, 49-8¼/15.14, 6-6¾/2.00, 47.77, 13.89, 153-4/46.74, 15-1/4.60, 180-2/54.93, 4:35.09);
5. Sven Roosen (Neth) 8428; 6. Karel Tilga (Est) 8413; 7. Tomas Järvinen (CzR) 8400 PR; 8. Heath Baldwin (US) 8357; 9. Amadeus Gräber (Ger) 8345 PR; 10. Harrison Williams (US) 8325; 11. Jeff Tesselaar (Neth) 8239; 12. Pierce LePage (Can) 8117; 13. Risto Lillemets (Est) 8063;… dnf—Hakim McMorris (US) (10.42, 24-4¼/7.42, 48-4/14.73, 6-8/2.03, 47.09, dnf, 131-0/39.94, dns).
GÖTZIS HEPTATHLON RESULTS
1. Annik Kälin (Swi) 6726 NR (WL) (12.91, 5-8½/1.74, 44-10¼/13.67, 23.33, 22-10/6.96w, 148-5/45.25, 2:11.72);
2. Emma Oosterwegel (Neth) 6705 PR (13.21, 5-9¾/1.77, 46-1½/14.06, 23.65, 20-11¾/6.39, 172-3/52.50, 2:09.19);
3. Sofie Dokter (Neth) 6627 PR (13.27, 5-10¾/1.80, 48-2¾/14.70, 23.13, 21-2¾/6.47, 144-4/44.00, 2:13.28);
4. Sophie Weißenberg (Ger) 6449 PR; 5. Sveva Gerevini (Ita) 6413 NR; 6. Vanessa Grimm (Ger) 6381 PR; 7. Jade O’Dowda (GB) 6350; 8. Sandrina Sprengel (Ger) 6328; 9. Noor Vidts (Bel) 6310; 10. Erika Wärff (Swe) 6271 PR; 11. Lexie Keller (US) 6249 PR; 12. Sarolta Kriszt (Hun) 6213;… 25. Allie Jones (US) 5199; 26. Taliyah Brooks (US) 3849;… dnf—Timara Chapman (US).
