World champion Niklas Kaul was considered a candidate for a medal in the decathlon, but he had to give up because of an unfortunate injury to his ankle. In an interview with ZDF presenter Rudi Cerne, he talked about what it is like to fail.
How do you deal with such a disappointment? How do you get it right when, through your own mistake, you are to blame for the shattering of your great Olympic dream? As the youngest world champion in history, decathlete Niklas Kaul wanted to win a medal in Tokyo. That was his plan, the sports officials bet on it and of course his parents, who coach him, hoped for that. But the bold venture failed during the 400-meter run, the last competition on the first day of the competition. The pain in the right ankle prevented it. Kaul stopped the race halfway through, dropped onto the track and put his hands over his face. Over and over. He left the stadium in a wheelchair. It was the fitting picture of the Mainzer’s misfortune.
A day later, the 23-year-old was sitting in the ZDF studio with presenter Rudi Cerne and gave information about what had happened there. Kaul appeared calm and collected, disappointed, yes a little sad, but not devastated. That is probably because he is still young and knows that he will get another chance. The next games will take place in Paris in three years. “Physically, I think I am actually better than mentally. I lay awake for a long time yesterday and couldn’t really fall asleep because of course the disappointment is already deep,” he said.
Niklas Kaul injured himself through a mistake while jumping
What is more of a problem for the young physics and sport teacher training student is the fact that he was responsible for the injury due to a mistake in the high jump. He had set his foot incorrectly when he jumped: “I’m too close and that’s why I put my foot down a bit. Well, that’s what we say (…). In the TV recordings you can clearly see him with his foot comes too close to the mat, which means that his body is tilted just before the jump, the load is too great at this brief moment and Kaul compresses his ankle.
Nevertheless, he jumped the 2.11 meters – personal best just like in the long jump before. It went well for the young world champion, he was only 13th, but the first day is always weaker. It would have started the second day of competition with an excellent starting position for his standards, where he wanted to roll up the field from behind.
Instead, Kaul hobbled over to the team doctors. They gave him the okay for the last discipline of the day, because the ligaments weren’t broken. But they warned him: “You may not be able to survive the 400 meters because of the pain.” The plan was to “just somehow get through these 400 meters” in order to have time later in the Olympic Village to somehow get the compressed joint fit again. But he didn’t hold out, the pain was too strong. Olympia ended for him lying on the tartan track, one hand clasped over his face, the other clasped his injured ankle.
Fortunately, the injury is not severe
What comforts Kaul a little: Fortunately, the injury is not too severe. In three or four weeks he will be able to put full weight back on his foot if everything goes according to plan. He wants to use the time: “I have to process that first and give my body the necessary rest,” he announced on the day he left.
After visiting the ZDF studio, Kaul drove to the stadium. There he kept his fingers crossed for his training colleague Carolin Schäfer in the heptathlon, who came in seventh. And he saw his competitors bring the decathlon to an end. Damian Warner from Canada was crowned the new “King of Athletes” with an outstanding 9018 points.
Sources: DPA,
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
