At the Istaf event in Berlin, a traditional athletics meeting, several German athletes delivered impressive performances. Decathlete Leo Neugebauer celebrated a victory before even crossing the finish line. Steeplechaser Gesa Krause, wrapped in a German flag, achieved a world-leading time for the year. Javelin thrower Julian Weber marked his 32nd birthday with a personal gift of victory. All three athletes, who were European champions just over two weeks ago, continued their strong performances at this event. Additionally, local athlete Emil Agyekum, the European silver medalist in the 400-meter hurdles, also secured a win at his home event.
Neugebauer triumphed in a unique triathlon format that included the 100 meters, discus throw, and 1500 meters. The scoring system converted point differences into time differences, allowing for a pursuit-style race similar to that used in Nordic combined events. Neugebauer finished the 1500 meters ahead of Amadeus Gräber and European Championship silver medalist Niklas Kaul. “It was an incredible feeling to win a 1500-meter race, as I usually don’t win in that distance,” Neugebauer remarked, having brought his European gold medal from Birmingham to Berlin.
In the discus throw, Neugebauer made the competition exciting with two invalid attempts but secured his victory with a throw of 58.54 meters in his final attempt. “I closed my eyes and felt the energy. That was your energy,” he said, addressing the approximately 41,000 spectators at the Olympiastadion.
Javelin thrower Weber has remained unbeaten at the Istaf for five years. Like at the European Championships in Birmingham, he achieved the best throw of the day (89.54 meters) in his sixth and final attempt. Anderson Peters from Grenada, a two-time world champion, finished second with a throw of 83.32 meters, while European silver medalist Nick Thumm placed fourth with 83.10 meters, just behind American Marc Minichello (83.28 meters). “It was simply beautiful,” Weber said after his victory. “There is an incredible vibe here, especially after the European Championships, and it’s great to see how the people celebrate the athletes, which makes it a lot of fun.” Weber was one of six gold medalists from the European Championships, contributing to Germany’s best medal tally since the 1998 Championships in Budapest.
Krause also contributed to the excitement in the stadium, winning the 2000-meter steeplechase in a time of 5:56.79 minutes, which set a world-leading time for the year. Olivia Gürth, the European bronze medalist, finished second with a time of 6:02.65 minutes. Agyekum, the 27-year-old vice-European champion, won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.18 seconds, finishing ahead of Owe Fischer-Breiholz (49.03 seconds). Agyekum had previously only lost to Norwegian star Karsten Warholm at the European Championships. “Today was all about having fun, being relaxed, and enjoying the audience, and I did just that,” Agyekum explained.
In a remarkable performance, American shot putter Chase Jackson set a new Istaf record with a throw of 21.02 meters, surpassing her own US record by seven centimeters and breaking a 42-year-old Istaf record previously held by Helena Fibingerova. Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry finished third with a throw of 19.73 meters. In the women’s 100 meters, Gina Lückenkemper finished second in 11.22 seconds, behind Jamaica’s Sabrina Dockery (11.13 seconds). For some top German athletes, the Istaf marked the end of their season, as long jump star Malaika Mihambo and 200-meter European champion Owen Ansah were absent due to injuries, concluding their seasons early.
Source: morgenpost.de
