Overview
- Niklas Kaul won the silver medal in the decathlon at the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham and says the result reflects a sustained change in his mental approach.
- Kaul says he stopped entering seasons with a ‘must-win’ mindset after a low point at the 2024 Paris Olympics and that two years of work on pressure management gave him the relaxed focus he calls “Restlockerheit.”
- His recent run of form follows a string of setbacks, including an ankle injury at Tokyo 2021, a withdrawal from the 2023 World Championships, and mixed results in 2024 that together prompted the shift in approach.
- Kaul believes he can reach 8,700–8,800 points under good conditions and is targeting technical gains in the pole vault, discus, shot put and sprint to close small margins that decide podium places.
- He plans to continue competing through the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and says his Birmingham performance shows he can manage pressure while Germany’s pool of rivals like Leo Neugebauer and Amadeus Gräber pushes standards higher.