Leo Neugebauer, the collegiate record holder and German record holder in the men's decathlon along with the No. 8 all-time global competitor following his world-leading 8,836-point performance June 7-8 representing Texas at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships in Austin, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing Aug. 25-26 in the decathlon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Neugebauer, 23, reflects on his performance at Mike A. Myers Stadium and how meaningful it was to eclipse both the collegiate and German all-time marks, in addition to sharing how significant it was to return to his home country to celebrate with family and friends, before returning to training in preparation to compete in Budapest. He also analyzes the decision not to participate in any meets in between the NCAA final and Worlds, along with examining the areas where Neugebauer feels like he has improved the most since June. Neugebauer also reviews the Thorpe Cup showdown involving Germany and the United States that took place Aug. 12-13 in Marburg, with Pitt standout and fellow German Felix Wolter winning the men's decathlon competition with 8,299 points, although the Americans swept both women's and men's team titles for the first time together as the visiting nation. He looks forward to a competition in Budapest that features 10 athletes with entry marks of at least 8,500 points and shares his excitement for what could be the deepest decathlon showcase in global history, surpassing the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow where 12 competitors surpassed 8,300 points. Neugebauer explains the learning experiences following his 10th-place performance at last year's Worlds at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., and how he has been able to manage his energy better, physically, mentally and emotionally in competition this year. He also expresses gratitude for being able to compete in the NCAA system against Georgia's Kyle Garland, representing the United States, and Puerto Rican standout Ayden Owens-Delerme of Arkansas, in addition to having the opportunity to square off against world record-holder and reigning World Athletics Championships gold medalist Kevin Mayer of France. Neugebauer also speaks about the importance of remaining in the moment and not thinking about the potential of following fellow German standout Niklas Kaul, the 2019 World decathlon gold medalist in Doha, by capturing the title in Budapest.