Germany’s 2008 World Junior Championships decathlon champion Jan Felix Knobel is eyeing another gold medal at this year’s European Athletics U23 Championships.
The 2011 European Athletic U23 Championships will be held in Ostrava, Czech Republic, from 14-17 July.
Knobel, who turned 22 last Sunday, has a best with senior implements of 7758 points, set in 2009, but feels he is ready to go well over the 8000 points barriers, which would almost certainly get him amongst the medals in Ostrava.
At the last U23 Championships two years ago, the title was won by Dutch decathlete Eelco Sintnicolaas, who scored 8112 points.
However, Sintnicolaas - who went on to win the silver medal at the 2010 European Athletics Championships - was the only man to go over 8000 points in Kaunas.
Knobel failed to finish either of his two decathlons last year, but he improved on his personal best marks in seven of the individual events that make up the discipline.
The tricky task for the undoubtedly talented Knobel is combining athletics with his studies to be an architect.
“My career, and how I will make my money, after I finish as an athlete will not be in sport but as an architect but, for the moment, training and studying are 100 per cent compatible,” said the student at the University of Rhein-Main in Wiesbaden.
'The study of architecture is ideal for me because it is creative on the one hand, and scientific on another. It provides the perfect balance to my sport and after a day in the classroom, it is a lot easier to look forward to training,” joked Knobel.
There has been one unexpected benefit for Knobel of being both an athlete and an architect. “I was in conversation with the owner of a local casino in Wiesbaden and not only did he offer to sponsor me as an athlete but I am also serving my architect’s internship there.”
Knobel also has designs on moving up a level and competing on equal terms with the world’s best multi-event exponents next year.
“In 2012, I have as a target of improving to 8400 points or better and that might put me in contention for a medal at the Olympics in London,” added Knobel.