Thiam, Nool and Plaziat donations plus MOWA pop-up mark 50th Götzis Hypomeeting

Launched in 1975 as a local initiative in the small Austrian village of Götzis, the Hypomeeting has seen over 1000 decathletes and heptathletes from more than 60 countries compete at the Mösle Stadium, and it has grown into an essential annual event in the world of combined events.

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) will host a special two-day pop-up exhibition at the Mösle Stadium on 31 May and 1 June, open to athletes and spectators attending the Hypomeeting.

The exhibit will include new donations from three past Götzis champions: Nafissatou Thiam, Erki Nool and Christian Plaziat, which will be presented to the museum during the weekend.

MOWA catalogue - 50th Götzis Hypomeeting exhibition

Donations to the MOWA

• Nafissatou Thiam, who set her lifetime best of 7013 points in Götzis in 2017, will contribute the shot put shoes she wore during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she won her third heptathlon gold medal.

• Erki Nool will donate the Estonian bodysuit and bib number from his Sydney 2000 Olympic decathlon victory.

• Christian Plaziat, winner of the 1989 Hypomeeting and a three-time world indoor record-breaker, will present the French bodysuit he wore to win the heptathlon at the 1995 World Indoor Championships.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “I am delighted to welcome three truly historic donations of competition artefacts to the Museum of World Athletics (MOWA) to mark the 50th anniversary competition of the Hypomeeting Götzis, which has so often been dubbed a mecca for combined eventers.

“Appropriately, global champions Nafissatou Thiam, Erki Nool and Christian Plaziat are former winners of the Götzis meeting and the clothing and shoes they are generously giving will be part of a special MOWA pop-up display in the Mösle Stadium over the coming two days of competition.

“It is well worth remembering that without the generosity of the athletes, there would be no World Athletics Heritage Collection and no MOWA. Thank you to Nafi, Erki and Christian for your support. The display of your Olympic and world title-winning competition items will help to inspire future generations to follow athletics.”

Celebrations in town and at the stadium

Thanks to the generous patronage of Erich Teigamägi and Peeter Tiitson, MOWA can support the wider 50th anniversary celebrations through heritage displays in two locations:

• In downtown Götzis, a month-long display at the Portierhaus is complemented by a historical timeline on large panels in the streets during the week of the competition.

• At the Mösle Stadium, the two-day pop-up will showcase MOWA’s extensive collection of artefacts from legendary multi-event athletes, along with rare documentation of world records.

Highlights include artefacts from Fanny Blankers-Koen, World Athletics’ female athlete of the 20th century and pentathlon world record-holder in 1951, plus Austria’s Liese Prokop, who set the record in 1969. There is also an impressive full-body suit worn by Denise Lewis when winning Olympic gold in 2000, as well as Carolina Kluft’s Swedish Olympic kit from 2004.

Visitors can also view the national team kits and bibs worn by Brianne Theisen-Eaton (CAN) and Ashton Eaton (USA) from the Portland 2016 World Indoor Championships, where they made history as the first married couple to win world indoor titles.

Known as the meeting where three decathlon world records were broken, Götzis will be the stage for MOWA and the World Athletics Archives to unveil never-before-seen materials from those historic performances by Daley Thompson (in 1980 and 1982) and Roman Sebrle, the first man to surpass the 9000-point barrier in 2001.

On public display for the first time will also be the original result sheets and photo-finishes from Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s women’s heptathlon world record of 7291 points set at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Also exhibited will be the official application forms for the current men’s and women’s decathlon world records set by Kevin Mayer and Austra Skujyte (9126 points and 8358 points, respectively), alongside the bodysuit, bib number and shoes worn by Mayer.

To round off this historical journey, MOWA will showcase the complete collection of scoring tables used in international competition, from the earliest officially approved and published in 1921 to the latest version from 1985, which was the first scoring system specifically designed for combined events.

Commemorative MOWA postcard

To further mark the occasion, a limited-edition MOWA postcard will be available on-site on 31 May and 1 June (while supplies last). This collectible features the current Mösle Stadium record-holders in each individual event of the decathlon and heptathlon, an artistic tribute to five decades of outstanding performances.

Recognised not only for its world-class performances but also for its warm, family-friendly atmosphere, the Hypomeeting is part of the World Athletics Combined Events Tour, holds Gold Level certification under the Athletics for a Better World sustainability programme, and is a designated World Athletics Heritage Competition site having been awarded the World Athletics Heritage Plaque in 2019.

Pierre-Jean Vazel for World Athletics Heritage