European champions Neugebauer, Krause and Weber win events at Berlin athletics meeting

Leo Neugebauer, Gesa Krause and Julian Weber, all European champions, won their respective events at the Istaf athletics meeting in Berlin on Sunday, delivering another electrifying performance for the 41,000 spectators at the Olympiastadion.

Neugebauer, the 26-year-old decathlon star, triumphed in an unusual triathlon format comprising the 100 meters, discus throw and 1,500 meters. After two foul throws in discus, he secured the lead with a 58.54-meter effort in his final attempt. The 1,500 meters was staged as a pursuit race, with point gaps converted into time differences. Neugebauer, who rarely wins at the distance, crossed the line first ahead of Amadeus Gräber and European Championship silver medalist Niklas Kaul. “It’s a crazy feeling to win a 1,500-meter race for once. I never do that,” Neugebauer said. “I closed my eyes and felt the energy. That was your energy,” he told the crowd .

Speerwerfer Weber extended his unbeaten streak at Istaf to five years, winning the javelin with a 89.54-meter throw on his sixth and final attempt, one day after his 32nd birthday. Grenada’s two-time world champion Anderson Peters placed second with 83.32 meters. European Championship silver medalist Nick Thumm finished fourth at 83.10 meters, behind American Marc Minichello’s 83.28 meters. “It was simply beautiful,” Weber said. “The vibe here is extreme. You can feel how the people are with us, how they celebrate the athletes, and that’s just mega fun” .

Krause, the 3,000-meter steeplechase European champion, won the 2,000-meter steeplechase in 5:56.79, setting a world seasonal best. Olivia Gürth, the European Championship bronze medalist, finished second in 6:02.65 .

Vizeeuropameister Emil Agyekum, a 27-year-old native Berliner, won the 400-meter hurdles in 48.18 seconds, ahead of Owe Fischer-Breiholz’s 49.03. At the European Championships in Birmingham two weeks earlier, Agyekum had finished second only to Norway’s Karsten Warholm .

In the women’s discus, two-time Olympic champion Valarie Sion of the U.S. won with 67.89 meters. Leia Braunagel surprisingly took second for Germany at 64.60 meters, ahead of European Championship silver medalist Shanice Craft’s 61.61 meters .

American Chase Jackson won the shot put with a 21.02-meter effort, improving her U.S. record by 7 centimeters. Canada’s Sarah Mitton placed second at 20.10 meters, with Olympic champion Yemisi Mabry third at 19.73 meters .

Niko Kappel won the para shot put with 14.06 meters .