What is the Götzis Hypomeeting? And why is it important for the Paris Olympics?

The Hypomeeting in Götzis, Austria, is one of the biggest events on the track and field calendar. The two-day combined events festival at the base of the Austrian Alps attracts the best multi-event athletes in the world, and in eight of the last 10 years, it has been won by a Canadian multi-event athlete.

At this year’s Hypomeeting, set for May 18 and 19, reigning Olympic decathlon champion Damian Warner will be the lone Canadian in the field, seeking his eighth title and hoping to rise to the podium without world champion Pierce LePage and French star Kevin Mayer in attendance. Helping Canadian Running break down the action in Götzis is a Canadian Olympic heptathlete and Under Armour athlete Georgia Ellenwood, who will give insights, predictions, and recaps on our social media channels throughout the two-day festival.

What is the Götzis Hypomeeting?

The meet is a combined events festival over two days, and the biggest multi-events competition in the world (outside of the Olympics and World Athletics Championships). Ellenwood has competed on three occasions, with her best heptathlon finish in 2021, where she finished 11th, with a score of 6,224 points. “Everything that happens in Götzis is for the spectator appeal,” says Ellenwood. “Athletes love competing there, and it draws in so many people from all over the world.”

Götzis is often seen as a dress rehearsal for the major contenders for Olympic and world championship medals. “If decathletes do well here, they can earn a lot of points, which can qualify them for the Olympic Games or World Championships,” says Ellenwood. The winning athletes receive a prize purse of 15,000 euros and a bonus of 1,000 euros for each individual event win (10 in decathlon, seven in heptathlon).

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Men’s decathlon preview

Canada’s Warner has been the best decathlete in the world over the past decade, and the Götzis Hypomeeting has been the dress rehearsal for some of his biggest performances. Coming in as the top-ranked athlete in the field, Warner has won Götzis in six of the last seven years, and seven of the last 10. This week will be his first decathlon appearance since winning silver at the 2023 World Championships behind his compatriot LePage, who won his first world championship. LePage, the defending champion, was supposed to compete at Götzis, but was a late scratch, to focus more on his Paris Olympic prep. “He’s very cautious when it comes to competitions,” says Ellenwood, who trains alongside LePage with coach Gregory Portnoy. “He did not want to risk an injury at Götzis not feeling 100 per cent.”

Warner and LePage have both already qualified for the Paris Olympic Games with their scores from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. For Warner, Götzis will be a test run for the 34-year-old looking to defend his Olympic title in Paris in August. “He’s the top-ranked athlete in the world this year, and the only athlete in Götzis with a personal best of over 8,800 points,” says Ellenwood. “Even if he’s average, I think he will win.”

Outside of Warner, the biggest threat for the podium comes from the athlete who finished one spot behind him at the 2023 World Championships, Grenada’s Linden Victor. Victor won bronze in Budapest with a personal best of 8,756 points. “Victor has been working on his sprint speed and has hired a new coach,” says Ellenwood. “He knew that, to contend with Warner, he had to improve his speed.”

Some other athletes to watch are Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Moloney of Australia, who is only 24 and has been one of the rising stars in the decathlon scene. Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer is another athlete to watch and will certainly be looking to break the Canadian winning streak in Austria. “I think Ehammer can challenge Warner in the sprints and long jump, but his success will depend on his pole vault and javelin,” says Ellenwood.

Ellenwood’s prediction

Damian Warner (CAN) is consistent and knows how to navigate the meet. He excels at the Day 1 events (100m, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m) and will usually find himself way out in front. If he’s not, he will need a good pole vault on Day 2, which will determine his success.

Women’s heptathlon preview

Like the men’s event, the women’s field is missing its last two world champions: Belgium’s Nafi Thiam and Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson, both due to injury. The top-ranked woman in the field is Anouk Vetter of the Netherlands, who won this event in 2022 and holds a personal best mark of 6,867 points across the seven events from her world championship silver-medal performance in Eugene (also in 2022).

Ellenwood believes it’s Vetter’s competition to lose. “If she’s ready to go and in shape, she will be the clear favourite,” says Ellenwood. Vetter has scored more than 6,500 points in her last five heptathlons and will be looking to bounce back in Götzis after her DNF here last year.

Another rising star to watch is Vetter’s Dutch compatriot Emma Oosterwegel, who won bronze behind Vetter at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021. Look for Oosterwegel to score high in the first event of the heptathlon (the 100m hurdles), and excel in the javelin throw. “Oosterwegel and Germany’s Sophie Weissenberg are two of the best young athletes in the sport,” says Ellenwood. “Both have shown a lot of progression and show up when they need to.”

Ellenwood would usually be in Austria for the event, but she is recovering from an Achilles injury from the 2023 Pan American Games last October. Her goal is to return to multi-events next year, but to hopefully be able to compete in some of the throwing events at the Bell Canadian Track and Field Olympic Trials next month in Montreal.

Ellenwood’s prediction

If any athlete is going to win, it’ll be Anouk Vetter. She’s won before (in 2022) and is very consistent. She knows what to expect and performs solidly across all seven events. I’ll pick Emma Oostervagel and Austria’s Ivona Dadic to keep it close for second and third.

How to follow

Canadian Under Armour heptathlete Georgia Ellenwood will be taking over the Canadian Running Instagram page on May 18 and 19 to provide event recaps and analysis of one of the biggest events in track and field. She’ll also be chatting about what it’s like to compete against the world’s best in Götzis.