Worried about his decathlon: Niklas Kaul from Mainz
Image: dpa
Decathlete Niklas Kaul left the stadium in Tokyo after the high jump limping and with a bleeding foot. The 23-year-old came back for the 400 meters, but then had to give up at his Olympic premiere.
FThe Olympic premiere for decathlon world champion Niklas Kaul ended prematurely. The 23-year-old from Mainz was unable to finish the 400-meter run on Wednesday due to a foot injury and had to be driven out of the interior of the Tokyo Olympic Stadium in a wheelchair. He suffered the painful bruise during the high jump. The efforts of the doctors in the German team to make him fit for the fifth discipline were ultimately in vain. Kaul was considered a contender for a medal.
In the high jump he had set a personal best with 2.11 meters, but then left the stadium interior limping with a bloody foot. With 3380 points he was in 13th place in the interim ranking. Kaul had a solid start into the competition with 11.22 seconds over 100 meters. Then he also achieved a best performance in the long jump with 7.36 meters. In the shot put, however, it was only 14.55 meters. The exceptional athlete is known for being able to play to his strengths on the second day of competition.
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