The multi-event cathedral that is Mösle Stadium is ready. This weekend, May 30–31, the 51st edition of the Hypo Meeting in Götzis, Austria, takes center stage. As the crown jewel of the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold series, the event has once again assembled a terrifyingly deep field of the world’s finest decathletes and heptathletes.
From Canadian legends to newly crowned world record holders, here is how the fields shake out for this weekend’s blockbuster.
Men’s decathlon: A historic Canadian-German-Swiss throwdown
The men’s decathlon is a literal clash of titans. You have the historic dominance of Damian Warner, the raw championship pedigree of Pierce LePage, the collegiate-turned-global power of Leo Neugebauer, and a Swiss superstar who is currently in the form of his life.
The Swiss sensation and the Canadian contenders
Simon Ehammer arrives in Austria carrying massive momentum. The Swiss star absolutely scorched the indoor track in Torun earlier this year, capturing the world indoor title with a stunning world indoor record of 6,670 points in the heptathlon—chipping 25 points off Ashton Eaton’s legendary 2012 mark. Ehammer’s indoor campaign was ridiculous: an 8.15m long jump, a 7.52-second hurdles best, and a 5.30m pole vault clearance. He’s already opened his outdoor account with an 8,361-point victory at Multistars in Brescia. Götzis is a favourite hunting ground for him, having previously jumped a world decathlon best of 8.45m here.
But to win, Ehammer has to go through Canada’s finest.
- Damian Warner is the undisputed King of Götzis. The London, Ontario native holds a record eight victories at Mösle Stadium, including a legendary six-year win streak from 2016 to 2022. Warner’s 8,995-point masterpiece here in 2021 remains the fourth-highest score in history. While he finished sixth last year with 8,527 points, write off the Olympic champion at your own peril.
- Pierce LePage knows exactly what it takes to win on this track. In 2023, LePage snapped Warner’s historic Götzis win streak with a world-leading 8,700 points before going on to claim World Championship gold in Budapest with a lifetime best of 8,909. If LePage is healthy and firing, the rest of the field is playing for second.
The global heavyweights
Germany brings a lethal one-two punch that could easily disrupt the podium:
- Leo Neugebauer: The German powerhouse is fresh off an incredible stretch, taking World gold in Tokyo last year (8,804 points) and Olympic silver in Paris (8,748 points). The three-time NCAA champion holds the German record at a massive 8,961 points.
- Niklas Kaul: The 2019 World Champion and 2022 European Champion is the ultimate day-two resurrection artist. Last year, he climbed from 13th to third on the back of a 72.13m javelin throw and a grueling 4:16.40 1500m.
The American and European Depth: Watch for US Olympic Trials champion Heath Baldwin, who picked up silver behind Ehammer in Torun with 6,377 points. He is joined by US outdoor champ Harrison Williams and Mt. SAC winner Hakim McMorris. France brings European bronze medallist Mackenson Gletty, while the Netherlands sees the return of Sven Roosen (fourth at the Paris Olympics). Keep an eye on Japan’s Yuma Maruyama, who recently set a national record of 8,321 points at Mt. SAC.
Women’s Heptathlon: Dokter and Brooks set for title fight
The heptathlon field is wide open, showcasing a brilliant mix of seasoned global medallists and rising prodigies who are ready to make Mösle Stadium their own.
The frontrunners
Sofie Dokter enters as the woman to beat. The Dutch athlete finished second here last year with 6,576 points before placing sixth at the World Championships in Tokyo. She elevated her status to global champion earlier this year in Torun, securing the World Indoor pentathlon title with a national record of 4,888 points. Her upward trajectory is unmistakable.
Looking for redemption is America’s Tallyah Brooks. Brooks shared World Championship bronze with Katarina Johnson-Thompson in Tokyo and added another bronze indoors in Torun. However, Götzis has been unkind to her in the past—with DNFs in 2022 and 2023, and a heartbreaking training injury on-site in 2024. A complete multi here could yield something special.
Continental threats and major comebacks
- Annik Kälin (SUI): The Swiss record holder (6,639 points) narrowly missed the Olympic podium in Paris by a agonizing 68 points. She’s explicitly dangerous in the horizontal jumps, coming off silver medals at both the European and World Indoor Championships.
- Saga Vanninen (FIN): A pure championship performer. The double World U20 and double European U23 champion won European Indoor gold in Apeldoorn and has a ceiling that can challenge anyone in this field.
- Sophie Weißenberg (GER): In what will be one of the most emotional storylines of the weekend, the German standout makes her competitive return after a devastating Achilles rupture suffered during warm-ups at the Paris Olympics.
The rookie to watch
Don’t sleep on Hungary’s 18-year-old phenom, Sarolta Krizs. Named the “Rookie of the Year” after a stunning 10th-place debut last year where she set a Hungarian U20 record of 6,225 points, Krizs represents the future of the heptathlon.
The verdict
Götzis is rarely just a track meet; it’s a gruelling test of attrition where world leads go to die and legends solidify their status. Expect the Canadian duo of Warner and LePage to push Neugebauer and Ehammer to the absolute limit, while the women’s crown will likely come down to a tactical chess match between Dokter and Brooks.
Stay tuned to Athletics Illustrated for full post-meet analysis and breakdowns.
