At the prestigious national decathlon championship held in Hannover, Germany, Daniel von der Heyden participated in a highly competitive field featuring the best U18 decathletes from across Germany and internationally, including top-10 ranked athletes globally. Despite facing significant challenges, including a lack of recent competition and training disruptions, Daniel delivered an outstanding performance. Over the two days, he achieved remarkable results:

Day 1

• 100m: 11.15s
• Long Jump: 6.78m
• Shot Put: 15.13m
• High Jump: 1.80m
• 400m: 50.90s

Day 2

• 110m Hurdles: 14.88s
• Discus Throw: 39.03m
• Pole Vault: 4.00m
• Javelin Throw: 52.64m
• 1500m: 4:55.36s

Daniel was in the top two positions throughout the first day and led the competition at several points during the second day. He ultimately secured a bronze medal with 7129 points, narrowly missing silver by just 9 points and gold by 32 points. His performance set a new South African U18 men's decathlon record and ranked him 8th in the world. Daniel's resilience, especially in overcoming a broken nose to achieve a personal best in the pole vault, has led to his selection into the German national elite team. We are immensely proud of Daniel's accomplishments and his exemplary representation of both our school and South Africa on the international stage.