Overview

• The 29-year-old cut his steeplechase best by nearly six seconds to 8:08.21 in 2025, adding wins at the Team Europeans and other international meets.
• He claimed the German title in Dresden on August 2 in a race he said carried the weight of his mother's final days.
• His mother died shortly before the Tokyo World Championships, where he exited in the heats in 8:32.27 after feeling his “battery” was empty.
• He says he kept her illness private during the season to avoid eliciting pity, disclosing it publicly only around the national championships.
• With training changes, new partners, and €35,000 invested in camps in South Africa and Switzerland, he is focusing on recovery and a planned performance step toward 2026.