Germany's Neugebauer wins first European decathlon title

German world champion Leo Neugebauer won his first European decathlon title on Thursday after a dramatic 1,500-metre finish, scoring 8,611 points for gold.

Former world and European champion Niklas Kaul took silver with 8,573 points after a strong second day and came close to overtaking Neugebauer, 26, in the final event.

Kaul, 28, moved into medal position for the first time with a 73.54-metre javelin throw. It was his biggest success since winning the European title in Munich in 2022.

Norway's Sander Skotheim took bronze with 8,433 points, while Germany's third competitor, Amadeus Gräber, finished eighth with 8,162.