At the finish line of the 800-meter run, "Super-Woman" was briefly finished. Anna Hall stormed to the finish line in 2:02.97 minutes – her fifth personal best of the weekend and a total result of 6988 points, missing the dream barrier of 7000 by only a few tenths of a second. After this brilliant finale, she lay down for the time being.

Achim Dreis

Sports editor.

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But even so, the newcomer's performance seemed sensational: Anna Hall came to Götzis, looked around beaming with joy and won by a wide margin. The American, 22 years young, 1.80 meters tall, won the heptathlon meeting in Vorarlberg on her first appearance. "I focused on having fun and being myself," she explained about her performance in an interview with the F.A.Z. – which she led quite pragmatically while standing in the ice barrel to cool off. Already about her interim balance of 4172 points after the first day, she said: "It was more than I expected".

In the end, she used the stage in the mountains not only to win the competition with the second-best score ever achieved there, but also the audience for herself. The woman from Denver/Colorado showed one outstanding sporting performance after the other for a weekend and also took the hearts of the spectators with her relaxed, relaxed manner.

On the first day, last year's World Championship bronze medallist achieved three personal bests in the hurdles (12.75 seconds), high jump (1.92 meters) and 200 meters (22.88 seconds). With her hurdle time, she even set a meeting record. No athlete has been faster than the 48-year-old in Götzi's 22 years. She felt extremely pushed by the more than 7000 spectators on each of the two days in perfect external conditions: "I've never gotten so much energy," she praised the special spirit in the narrow arena. "I'm thrilled."

She had announced her tactics for the second day with "just do it". And started immediately with a fourth record in the long jump (6.54 meters). Even though she was only a personal average in the javelin throw with 43.08 meters, there was no doubt about her victory. And she finally completed the final 800-meter run as a lonely increase run to a brilliant overall success.

Second place went to Britain's Katharina Johnson-Thompson (6556 points) ahead of Adrianna Sulek from Poland (6480). Sophie Weißenberg (Bayer Leverkusen) finished as the best German with a personal best of 6375 points, a strong fifth place. The experienced Carolin Schäfer from LG Eintracht Frankfurt scored 6312 points and finished eighth.

Lepage replaces Warner

In the men's race, after six victories in a row, the decathlon winner was not Damian Warner for the first time since 2015. The now 33-year-old Canadian, who competed in Götzis for the tenth time, was surpassed this time by his compatriot Pierce Lepage, who is six years younger. For the 2.04-metre-tall Lepage, this was a special satisfaction – not only because of the 15,000 euro prize money – but also because the lanky Canadian was often said not to work hard enough in view of his casual manner – even though he finished second at the World Championships last year.

For Olympic champion Warner, second place did not change his general preference for Vorarlberg. "Götzis has always welcomed me with open arms," enthused the seven-time meeting winner: "Götzis is a special part of my life." With 8619 points, he took second place this time, narrowly beaten by Lepage (8700). Third place was surprisingly secured by the Norwegian Sander Skotheim with a personal best of 8590 points. Manuel Eitel from SSV Ulm improved to his house record of 8351 and finished fifth as the best German.

Someone who had caused a sensation at this point last year with a world record within a decathlon had to experience the relentless toughness of the sports business this time. The European Championship runner-up Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, who jumped 8.45 meters last year, did not manage a single valid jump into the pit in his special discipline long jump this time. Last year's European Championship runner-up did not compete in the shot put.

European Champion Niklas Kaul, on the other hand, did not take part in Götzis. Kaul is trying a different way of building up the season this year. He has secured the norm for the World Championships in Budapest since his European Championship victory. That's why the Mainz native won't go the full distance in Ratingen for another three weeks to get in shape for the highlight of the season. Before the meeting in Götzis, he had at least proven to be a proven connoisseur of the heptathlon scene. Kaul predicted Anna Hall's victory to the F.A.Z. – with at least 6900 points.