Athletics
Leo Neugebauer: From college star to decathlon world champion
A record holder, world champion and a showman: decathlete Leo Neugebauer has emerged as a new king of athletics - but behind the scoring machine is an athlete who had to learn to switch off his mind.
The noise in the stadium in Tokyo is deafening, but Leo Neugebauer hears nothing. No cheering, no music, no announcements. Just his own breathing.
One event - the 1,500 metres - separates him from the world title in the decathlon. Two days and nine disciplines lie behind him. Discus, pole vault, long jump - everything on point. Now comes the run that decathletes either love or hate. Neugebauer knows that if he keeps his nerve now, a dream will become reality.
As he crosses the finish line, the lights go out. Completely exhausted, he sinks to the track and volunteers lift him into a wheelchair. The pictures later go around the world. But even before his body realises what has happened, Neugebauer is standing again. He throws his arms up, screams his exhaustion and relief into the sky above Tokyo - with 8,804 points, he is world champion. King of the athletes.
Leo Neugebauer is the rising star of decathlon
© Shamil Tanna/Red Bull Content Pool
When I simply rely on what I can do without thinking too much, that's when I'm at my strongest
01
Growing up on the tartan track
Neugebauer grew up in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, just south of Stuttgart. While other children were collecting football stickers, he had a different playground from an early age: the athletics track.
At the age of six, he stood on the start line in a jersey for the first time at a competition. No big goals, no standards in mind - it was all about having fun. Running, jumping, throwing. "I started decathlon for fun with my mates," he says.
What nobody realised at the time was that this versatility would later become his trademark. It was clear early on that he was not a specialist in just one discipline. Neugebauer wanted to do it all: sprinting, jumping, throwing and hurdles. Decathlon, in other words.
02
Where it all clicked
Leo Neugebauer takes off over the hurdles
© Shamil Tanna/Red Bull Content Pool
The first big turning point came when Neugebauer moved to the University of Texas. It wasn't just his everyday life that changed here, but his entire perspective. Training in the Texas sun, in professional conditions against strong competition, he suddenly had a realisation:
"I only realised in college that I might be able to do this professionally. I got better and better and put my full focus on it," he recalls.
His performance curve exploded in 2023. At the NCAA Championships, Neugebauer completed a decathlon that turned everything on its head – securing a German record to mark his breakthrough on the international stage.
The following year, he went even better, increasing his points total and grabbing the college record. After finishing his studies, the stage was set for the German to take it to the next level.
03
A showman in the discus ring
Leo Neugebauer relaxes with his gold medal from the Tokyo World Champs
© Shamil Tanna/Red Bull Content Pool
Anyone who sees Neugebauer in the stadium quickly realises: this isn't just a decathlete, this is an entertainer.
His favourite disciplines say a lot about him: discus first, then pole vault, long jump and shot put. Power, jubilation, energy - he lives for these moments and the audience in the stadium joins in.
At the same time, he knows the dark side of the all-around competition: the 1,500m, when his legs are on fire and his head is screaming "stop". "Decathlon is a brutal mix," he says. "You have to be able to deal with your body - but above all with what's going on in your head."
04
Paris 2024: almost at the top
Before Tokyo, Neugebauer delivered on the biggest stage for the first time in Paris, mixing it with the best in the world to take silver, just narrowly missing out on gold.
Shortly before, he had scored 8,961 points in Eugene (USA) - a German record. A figure that shows what this athlete is made of: a package of speed, strength, technique and an ability that cannot be trained - performing when it counts.
05
Pressure, doubt and mental battles
"My biggest challenge is to keep a cool head," says Leo Neugebauer
© Shamil Tanna/Red Bull Content Pool
Decathlon is a brutal blend of physics and psychology. Two days, alternating disciplines, no time to catch your breath. "My biggest challenge is to keep a cool head during the big competitions. Not getting nervous," says Neugebauer.
He learned to think less and feel more on the decisive days, letting his body do what it has done a thousand times in training. When the flow comes, one strong discipline follows the next.
06
Success founded on strong support
He is not alone at the World Championships, Olympic Games or when competing for national honours. On the track, he wears Germany on his chest, while in his head, he has his crew and plenty of support from the sides
"My family and friends have always been supportive since day one," he says. "They are there at every major competition and I can always count on their support. That means a lot to me."
07
Looking ahead: the final piece of the puzzle
Decathlon champion Leo Neugebauer
© Shamil Tanna / Red Bull Content Pool
World Championship title, German record, Sportsman of the Year, BAMBI award [a German award that recognises excellence in media, arts, culture, sports etc] - Neugebauer's CV is almost complete. Yet, there is one box still to be ticked: gold on his sport's biggest stage of all. His goal is therefore clear:
"The gold medal … that's the greatest thing you can achieve in our sport," he declares.
He's already been close. He knows what silver feels like, what gold at the World Championships is like. Standing on top of that particular podium would be the missing piece in the puzzle.
Until then, he'll continue to do what got him here in the first place: getting a little better every day - in running, throwing, jumping. And in letting go.