In the goal of the 800-meter run, “Super Woman” was also at the end for a short time. Anna Hall stormed the finish line in 2:02.97, her fifth personal best of the weekend and a total of 6988 points, just a few tenths of a second off the dream mark of 7000. After this fulminant finale, she stayed where she was.
But even so, the performance of the newcomer seemed sensational: Anna Hall came to Götzis, looked around happily and won by a wide margin. The American, 22 years old, 1.80 meters tall, won the heptathlon meeting in Vorarlberg on her first appearance. “I concentrated on having fun and being myself,” she explained about her performance in an interview with the FAZ – which she conducted very pragmatically while standing in the ice barrel to cool down. Already on her interim balance of 4172 points after the first day she said: “It was more than I expected”.
In the end, she not only used the stage in the mountains to win the competition with the second highest score ever there, but also the audience for herself. The woman from Denver/Colorado showed one outstanding sporting performance after the other over a weekend and also won the hearts of the spectators with her easy-going manner.
On the first day, last year’s third-place finisher at the World Championships set three personal bests in the hurdles (12.75 seconds), high jump (1.92 meters) and over 200 meters (22.88 seconds). With her hurdle time, she even set a meeting record. In Götzi’s 48 years, no athlete was faster than the 22-year-old. She felt extremely pushed by the good 7000 spectators on the two days with perfect external conditions: “I’ve never had so much energy,” she praised the special spirit in the narrow arena. “I’m excited.”
Beaming winner when flirting with the audience: the American Anna Hall wins the competition and the hearts
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Image: dpa
She had announced her tactic for the second day with “just do it”. And immediately started with a fourth record in the long jump (6.54 meters). Even if she only presented a personal average of 43.08 meters in the javelin throw, there was no doubt about her victory. And finally, she completed the final 800-meter run as a lonely increase in run to brilliant overall success.
Second place went to Katharina Johnson-Thompson from Britain (6556 points) ahead of Adrianna Sulek from Poland (6480). Sophie Weißenberg (Bayer Leverkusen) took a strong fifth place as the best German with a personal best of 6375 points. The experienced Carolin Schäfer from LG Eintracht Frankfurt scored 6312 points and placed eighth.
Lepage replaces Warner
For the men, after six wins in a row, for the first time since 2015 the decathlon winner was not named Damian Warner. The now 33-year-old Canadian, who competed in Götzis for the tenth time, was surpassed this time by his compatriot Pierce Lepage, who was six years his junior. A special satisfaction for the 2.04 meter tall Lepage – not only because of the 15,000 euro prize money – but also because the lanky Canadian was often said not to work hard enough in view of his easy-going manner – even though he last year already finished second at the World Championships.
The new number one for men: Pierce Lepage
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Image: dpa
For Olympic champion Warner, second place did not change his general preference for Vorarlberg. “Götzis always welcomed me with open arms,” enthused the seven-time meeting winner: “Götzis is a special part of my life.” With 8619 points, he took second place this time, narrowly beaten by Lepage (8700). The Norwegian Sander Skotheim surprisingly secured third place with a personal best of 8590 points. Manuel Eitel from SSV Ulm increased his house record of 8351 and finished fifth as the best German.
One who had caused a sensation at this point last year with a world record within a decathlon had to experience the relentless toughness of the sports business this time. European Championship runner-up Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, who jumped 8.45 meters last year, did not make a single valid jump into the pit this time in his special long jump discipline. Last year’s runner-up at the European Championship no longer competed in the shot put.
European Champion Niklas Kaul, on the other hand, decided not to take part in Götzis. Kaul is trying a different way of building the season this year. He has been the norm for the World Cup in Budapest since his European Championship victory. That’s why the man from Mainz will only cover the full distance in Ratingen in three weeks to get in shape for the highlight of the season. Before the meeting in Götzis, he had at least proved to be a recognized expert on the heptathlon scene. Kaul told the FAZ that Anna Hall would win – with at least 6900 points.
