Leo Neugebauer Gets Silver in Olympic Decathlon

The former Texas track and field star was one of three Longhorns to medal in Olympic athletics.

Aug 4, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Silver medalist Leo Neugebauer (GER) celebrates during the medal ceremony for the decathlon during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade de France. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Recent Texas track and field graduate Leo Neugebauer fought until the end in the Olympic decathlon.

The decathlon consists of four runs, three jumps and three throws, and the winner is determined by the total points earned in each event.

Neugebauer started strong. Though he stayed out of the top three in the opening 100-meter sprint, he finished second in his group in the long jump with a distance of 7.98m. Neugebauer maintained his high-point scoring in the shot put, throwing for 16.55m to get second in his group behind France's Makenson Gletty. The shot put event, outside of the decathlon, saw fellow Longhorn Ryan Crouser win his third consecutive gold medal.

The next two events, the high jump, and the 400-meter run, were not as successful. In the high jump, Neugebauer finished fourth with a 2.05-meter jump to add 850 points to his name, and in the 400-meter, he also finished fourth in his heat, adding 924 points.

Day two of the competition also didn't get the strongest start. Neugebauer finished fifth in his 110-meter hurdles heat and 13th overall. Nonetheless, the German's success in the previous events kept him in the third position in combined points going into the discus throw.

Neugebauer already held the world record in the throw after a stellar performance in the Diamond League in Oregon. In the Olympics, his throw of 53.33 meters, 4.33 meters short of his world record, earned him second place but lifted him to number one in the combined points table with three events to go.

The Big 12 Athlete of the Year nominee got fifth position in the pole vault but maintained the first overall position ahead of Norway's Markus Rooth.

The javelin throw might have been where the top podium spot shifted from Neugebauer to Rooth. Neugebauer finished the event at the bottom of the table, in 17th place, while Rooth was sixth. It would all come down to the 1500-meter race. The German had 8097 points, the Norwegian 8113.

Neither athlete had a stellar performance in the run, but Rooth's 11th place was enough to beat Neugebauer's 17th.

The Texas ex stepped on the second-highest spot on the podium in his first Olympic games.