With a happy chain of women, led by the beaming winner Sophie Weißenberg, twelve young women ended their working weekend in Ratingen on Sunday around 5 p.m. in glorious sunshine, barefoot on a red tartan track.

“We are all champions” was the subtext of the heptathletes.

Because they made it.

2200 spectators applauded standing.

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

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Geographically, Ratingen is in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.

Although outshined by the neighboring state capital Düsseldorf, with its 90,000 inhabitants it is still the largest city in the Mettmann district.

And according to its own assessment, Ratingen is almost Mecca.

At least for multi-fighters.

picnic atmosphere

The meeting for decathletes and heptathletes took place here for the 25th time this weekend.

In athletics style, meeting means competition without awarding a title - and it has something of a family get-together.

An event for connoisseurs.

Picnic atmosphere at 22, 23 degrees.

Sunny with a few clouds.

Behind the grandstand coffee and cake, sausages and beer.

The expert audience is up close and hands-on with athletes.

The audience does not have to remain in the stands for the high jump, shot put and pole vault.

The grass field is open, people flock to the interior.

Parents with children, pensioners with a connoisseur's face.

Flaneurs with mirrored sunglasses and experts with insight.

Many young people who run, throw and jump in their free time.

Alumni are also watching: Jennifer Oeser, two-time World Cup runner-up in 2009 and 2011, remembers how much she enjoyed competing here.

Michael Schrader, who came second in the 2013 World Cup, is also there.

And Frank Busemann, Olympic hero from 1996, anyway.

Their presence underscores the family atmosphere of the event.

Measure again with the others

"C'est incroyable," says Leonie Cambours.

The 21-year-old Frenchwoman wins the women's high jump: "It's unbelievable." And means both: her good performance and the closeness to the people.

"Alors," says the moderator.

Back to shot put.

On the one hand, the athletes in Ratingen want to get a feel for the competition again, to compete again after a long winter with a number of practice sessions and a few training camps.

And on the other hand, to reach the norms for participation in the major events of the season, the World Championships in July in Eugene (Oregon) and the European Championships in August in Munich.

Long lines in front of the women's toilet

Carolin Schäfer is the most prominent participant and a regular guest in Ratingen.

The woman from Frankfurt, second at the 2017 World Cup and third at the 2018 European Championship, speaks of an “absolute home game” that she was really looking forward to.

"It's extremely important when planning the season." The Eintracht athlete admits that the "excitement factor" should not be underestimated: "Not knowing where you stand".

Another form of excitement is due to an interlude shortly before the long jump on Sunday.

Mareike Rösing from Mainz has to do it again.

As with all major events, the line in front of the ladies' toilet is long.

But the spectators recognize the athlete and are happy to let her in front.

After that, the German U-23 champion jumps up free - and ends up just below her personal best.

Ehammer's record jump

In the other sand pit, also directly in front of the grandstand, the young Swiss Simon Ehammer had shown a brilliant performance the day before: He flew 8.30 meters – a distance that would also do credit to specialists: The 22-year-old thus represented a Swiss record and a "world record" for decathletes within an official competition.

The giant leap is one of his four discipline successes alongside sprint, hurdles and pole vault and forms the basis of his overall victory with 8354 points.

The likeable youngster is also allowed to express his exuberant joy on the winner's podium and address a few words to the audience.

And so the viewers gradually get to know all the protagonists a bit this weekend.

The final honor goes to Sophie Weißenberg.

The 24-year-old won over 200 meters and with the javelin and, above all, the overall standings with 6273 points ahead of Carolin Schäfer (6170): "I feel like showing something," the woman from Leverkusen had previously announced.

28 hours later it was clear that she had succeeded.

And she even broke the EM norm.