LePage Aims for Second Win at Götzis Hypo Meeting
The 49th edition of the Hypo Meeting in Götzis this weekend will feature the entire men’s decathlon podium from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
Pierce LePage of Canada, last year’s Hypo Meeting champion and world gold medallist in Budapest, will compete against fellow Canadian Damian Warner, Olympic champion in Tokyo and world silver medallist in Budapest, and Grenada’s Lindon Victor, 2023 world bronze medallist. These athletes will clash at the Moesle Stadium in Götzis as they build up to the Paris Olympic Games.
LePage's Journey
LePage will make his fifth appearance at the Hypo Meeting. The Canadian decathlete won last year’s edition with 8700 points, highlighted by personal bests in the 100m (10.28) and javelin throw (63.09m). He went on to win the world title in Budapest with a lifetime best of 8909 points. Previously, LePage finished second to Warner in Götzis in 2021 with 8534 points and won the world silver medal in Eugene in 2022 with 8701 points. He also placed fifth at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Warner's Pursuit
Warner will compete for the 11th time in Götzis, aiming for his eighth win at this prestigious meeting. He set his then-personal best of 8995 points at the 2021 Hypo Meeting, highlighted by PBs in the 100m (10.14) and long jump (8.28m). Warner won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo with a Canadian record of 9018 points. He also won the world indoor gold medal in the heptathlon in Belgrade 2022 with 6489 points, a national record. Warner finished second at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest with 8604 points, adding to his career tally of four world medals.
Victor's Performance
Lindon Victor placed second at the 2022 Hypo Meeting with 8447 points and fifth at the World Championships in Eugene with 8474 points. He won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and set a then-national record of 8550 points at the Decastar in Talence. Victor won the overall title in the 2022 World Athletics Combined Events Tour. In 2023, he finished seventh in Götzis with 8293 points and won the bronze medal at the World Championships in Budapest with 8756 points, setting PBs in the 400m (48.05) and 1500m (4:39.67).
Ehammer's Return
Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, a world indoor gold medallist in the heptathlon in Glasgow 2024, will compete in Götzis for the fourth time. Ehammer broke Warner’s world decathlon long jump best with 8.30m in Ratingen in 2022 and improved it to 8.45m in Götzis 2022, finishing third with 8377 points. He has also won medals in various other competitions, including the world indoor silver in 2022 and the Diamond League long jump title in 2023.
Other Competitors
The competition will also feature athletes such as:
- Ashley Moloney (Australia): Olympic bronze medallist with an Oceanian record of 8649 points.
- Maicel Uibo (Estonia): World silver medallist in Doha 2019.
- Ken Mullings and Kendrick Thompson (Bahamas): Both with strong performances in decathlon.
- Devon Williams (USA): NCAA indoor champion in heptathlon.
- Tim Nowak (Germany): European indoor competitor.
- José Ferreira Santana (Brazil): South American champion.
Women's Heptathlon
In the women's heptathlon, Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands aims to win for the second time. Vetter, the first Dutch winner in Götzis, holds the national record with 6693 points. She will compete against fellow Dutch athlete Emma Oosterwegel, Olympic bronze medallist, and Tallyah Brooks (USA), who recently equalled her PB of 6330 points.
Other notable competitors include:
- Annie Kunz (USA): US outdoor champion.
- Erica Bougard (USA): Fourth at the World Championships in Doha 2019.
- Sophie Weissenberg (Germany): Seventh at the World Championships in Budapest 2023.
- Annik Kälin (Switzerland): European bronze medallist with a national record of 6515 points.
The Austrian athletes, including Ivona Dadic, Verena Mayr, and others, will have the home crowd's support.
With such a strong lineup, the 49th Hypo Meeting in Götzis promises to be an exciting and competitive event.
