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A few months after his decathlon record, Leo Neugebauer also broke the 22-year-old German indoor record in the heptathlon

IN MEMORIAM - Kurt Bendlin (1943 – 2024)

Andre Niklaus is double U23 European champion (2001, 2003) and he won gold medal at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow 2006.

Arthur Abele captured a truly special moment in his career when he won the gold medal at the 2018 European Championships in Berlin, triumphing in front of a jubilant home crowd with a memorable total of 8431 points.

Christian Schenk was not sure he was the World`s Greatest Athlete after winning the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon in Seoul 1988

Christian Schenk's personal best was 8500 points, achieved in August 1993 in Stuttgart.

Dennis Leyckes - World U20 Champion in men's decathlon in Santiago 2000

24th European Athletics Championships were held in Berlin 2018

The men's decathlon at the 2002 European Championships in Munich brought together many of the world's leading combined events athletes, including reigning world record holder Roman Šebrle, Olympic champion Erki Nool and Russia's Lev Lobodin. The …

25th European Athletics Championships were held in München 2022

The men's decathlon at the 1986 European Championships in Stuttgart featured one of the strongest competitions in combined events history. Great Britain's Daley Thompson successfully defended his European title with 8811 points, defeating long …

Frank Busemann won an Olympic silver medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996. German Sportspersonality of the Year 1996.

German men’s decathlon all-time list up to 8000 points. Leading the German men’s decathlon all-time list is Leo Neugebauer, who set the national record with a stunning 8961 points performance at the 2024 NCAA Championships in Eugene.

German men’s heptathlon all-time list up to 5800 points

Guido Kratschmer won an Olympic silver medal at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. German Sportspersonality of the Year 1980.

Guido Kratschmer was a world-class German decathlete known for setting a world record and winning major titles, despite a career frequently disrupted by injuries and missed Olympic opportunities.

In the early 80s Jürgen Hingsen set three World records with 8741, 8825 and 8832 points

This story captures Jürgen Hingsen’s incredible achievements and records while highlighting the recurring theme of being overshadowed by Daley Thompson

Kai Kazmirek claimed victory in the 2013 European U23 Championships. His personal best is 8580 points in the decathlon, set at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. Overall winner of the IAAF Combined Events Challenge in 2016 and 2021.

Klaus Isekenmeier's personal best in the decathlon is 8310 points, achieved in Ratingen 1997

Leo Neugebauer has broken the 39 ‐years old German decathlon record. He scored 8836 points at the NCAA Division Championships in Austin, Texas (2023). Year later he won second consecutive men’s decathlon title at the NCAA in Eugene, …

Manuel Eitel joined SSV Ulm 1846 in 2013, where he trained under coach Christopher Hellmann. In 2014, he set a new German U18 decathlon record in Bernhausen, surpassing the previous record held by Jan Felix Knobel.

In 2011, Mathias Brugger earned silver in decathlon at the European U20 Championships in Tallinn with 7853 points. At the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland, Mathias Brugger scored 6126 points, earning bronze.

Michael Schrader won the silver medal at the World Championships in Moscow 2013, becoming the first German decathlete to make it to the podium at the World Championships since Frank Busemann took the bronze medal in Athens 1997.

Mike Maczey represented Germany at its highest level - national champion twice, Olympic competitor, and placed in the top eight at European Championships. At Götzis 2000 he posted his lifetime best - 8461 points.

Niklas Kaul set a World record with U20 implements of 8435 points when winning the decathlon at the European Championships in Grosseto 2017. He became the youngest decathlon World champion in history at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in …

Norman Müller was a solid German decathlete who regularly scored over 8000 points, won national titles, and earned medals at junior and U23 level.

Mykola Avilov delivered a commanding performance at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, winning the decathlon in dominant style with a new world record.

Pascal Behrenbruch clinched the gold medal at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki with a personal best of 8558 points. He was successful thanks to his well ‐balanced skill set across most events, despite a comparatively …

At the 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart, Paul Meier captured the bronze medal with a personal best score of 8548 points. On 30 April 2004, he married high jumper Heike Henkel. They have a daughter, Marlene Meier.

Frank Busemann won the 1998 Ratingen Decathlon (first edition) with 8556 points ahead of Klaus Isekenmeier and Stefan Schmid in a strong German-dominated international competition.

Ratingen 1998 men’s decathlon was won by Klaus Isekenmeier with 8236 points in a very close contest ahead of Frank Busemann (8231) and Mike Maczey (8114), highlighting a tightly packed elite German field with multiple 8000 ‐point …

Ratingen 1999 men’s decathlon was won by Frank Busemann with 8414 points ahead of Klaus Isekenmeier (8222) and David Mewes (8107), featuring a tightly packed elite German field with multiple athletes above 8000 points and consistently strong all …

Ratingen 2000 men’s decathlon featured a high-level international field, with Stefan Schmid winning on 8485 points ahead of Mike Maczey (8004) and Klaus Isekenmeier (8002), highlighting strong German dominance and multiple 8000+ performances.

The Ratingen 2001 decathlon results were won by Stefan Schmid with 8287 points, ahead of Frank Busemann and Sebastian Knabe.

Ratingen 2002 men’s decathlon was won by Roman Šebrle with a dominant 8701 points ahead of Lev Lobodin (8433) and Jon Arnar Magnusson (8390), showcasing a world ‐class field with multiple athletes surpassing 8300 points and elite all …

The Ratingen 2003 decathlon results were won by Roman Šebrle with 8606 points, ahead of Jon Arnar Magnusson and Sebastian Knabe.

The Ratingen 2004 decathlon results were won by Dennis Leyckes with 8172 points, followed by Florian Schönbeck and Stefan Drews, in the men’s decathlon competition featuring full results across all ten disciplines.

The Ratingen 2005 decathlon results were won by Andre Niklaus with 8193 points, ahead of Lars Albert and Kenny Beele, in the men’s decathlon standings.

The 2006 Ratingen decathlon was won by Kazakhstan’s Dmitri Karpov with 8414 points, as he edged Jamaica’s Maurice Smith (8349) and Germany’s Dennis Leyckes (8310) in a highly competitive international decathlon featuring multiple athletes …

The 2007 Ratingen decathlon was won by Germany’s Arthur Abele with 8269 points, narrowly ahead of compatriot Norman Müller (8244), while Jacob Minah completed a tightly contested podium in third with 7998 points.

The 2008 Ratingen decathlon was won by Cuba’s Leonel Suárez with 8451 points, ahead of Germany’s Arthur Abele (8372) and Andre Niklaus (8273), in a high-quality competition featuring multiple athletes over the 8200-point mark.

The 2009 Ratingen decathlon was won by Cuba’s Yordani Garcia with 8348 points, narrowly ahead of Germany’s Norman Müller (8295), while Stefan Drews completed the podium in third with 7858 points.

The 2010 Ratingen decathlon was won by Cuba's Yordani Garcia with 8288 points, narrowly beating compatriot Leonel Suárez (8243), while Austria’s Dominik Distelberger finished third with 7713 points.

The 2011 Ratingen decathlon was won by Algeria's Larbi Bourrada, who scored 8302 points to set a new African decathlon record.

The 2012 Ratingen decathlon was won by Germany's Jan Felix Knobel with 8228 points, ahead of Cuba's Yordani Garcia (8005) and Junior Diaz (7735), after Larbi Bourrada's higher score of 8332 points was later disqualified due to doping.

The 2013 Ratingen decathlon was won by Germany's Pascal Behrenbruch with 8514 points, narrowly defeating compatriot Rico Freimuth (8488), while Jan Felix Knobel completed an all-German podium with 8396 points.

The 2014 Ratingen decathlon took place on June 28–29 in challenging weather conditions, with athletes battling cold, rain, and strong winds. Germany's Rico Freimuth won the competition with 8356 points, edging France's Kevin Mayer by just 33 …

Germany's Michael Schrader claimed victory at the 2015 Ratingen decathlon with 8419 points, narrowly defeating South Africa's Willem Coertzen (8341), while fellow German Pascal Behrenbruch placed third with 7826 points.

Arthur Abele of Germany won the 2016 Ratingen decathlon with 8605 points, finishing ahead of compatriot Kai Kazmirek (8323) and the Netherlands' Pelle Rietveld (7659).

Rico Freimuth of Germany won the 2017 Ratingen decathlon with 8663 points, ahead of Grenada's Kurt Felix (8509) and fellow German Kai Kazmirek (8478).

Arthur Abele of Germany won the 2018 Ratingen decathlon with 8481 points, finishing well clear of fellow German Manuel Eitel (8121) and Sweden's Marcus Nilsson, who was just one point behind second place.

Kai Kazmirek of Germany won the 2019 Ratingen decathlon with 8444 points, finishing comfortably ahead of France's Basile Rolnin (8205) and South Africa's Fredriech Pretorius (7872).

Germany's Leo Neugebauer won the 2026 Ratingen decathlon with 8573 points ahead of France's Makenson Gletty (8458), while the USA's Devon Williams produced a career ‐best 8402 points for third and Estonia's Rasmus Roosleht also achieved a …

A complete history of the Ratingen Mehrkampf celebrates all-time decathlon records and champions, showcasing the event’s finest performances and winners throughout the years.

Rico Freimuth is a World Championship medalist, winning silver in 2017 and bronze in 2015. Finished 6th at the 2012 London Olympics, where Ashton Eaton set the world record. Overall winner of the IAAF Combined Events Challenge in 2014 and 2017.

Siegfried Wentz achieved a personal best of 8762 points in Bernhausen (5 June 1983), which at the time made him third on the world all-time list

In 2006, Stefan Drews delivered a career ‐defining performance, amassing a personal best of 8233 points at the Ratingen. This remarkable feat secured him the German national title and propelled him to a 7th ‐place finish at the …

Stefan Schmid, born in 1970 in Würzburg, was a leading German decathlete during the 1990s and early 2000s. He reached a personal best of 8485 points in 2000, the same year he placed ninth at the Sydney Olympics. His career was not without …

Kurt Bendlin, a gifted German decathlete, overcame multiple injuries and personal tragedy to set a world record in 1967, and despite repeated setbacks, made several comebacks throughout his career.

With a PB of 6388 points, Till Steinforth set a German national heptathlon record and earned bronze at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn

Torsten Voss has won gold medal at the World Championships in Roma 1987. In 1981, he claimed silver at the European U20 Championships, and in 1982 set a junior world record in decathlon with 8397 points.

Thomas Fahner won the men’s decathlon at the 1985 European Athletics Junior Championships in Cottbus with 7815 points, finishing ahead of Igor Drobyshevskiy (7633) and Andre Preysing (7476).

2nd edition of the European U20 Athletics Championships

The 5th European Athletics U23 Championships were held in Erfurt, Germany (2005)

Uwe Freimuth's PB 8792 points, achieved in 1984 - making him the East German national record holder at the time. He was a four-time national champion.

Trey Hardee's victory in the decathlon at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin marked a significant milestone in his career. Competing in the Olympic Stadium, Hardee achieved a personal best of 8790 points, securing the gold medal and setting …

Dan O'Brien captured the decathlon title at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics in Stuttgart, finishing with 8817 points.