Karel Tilga free of long knee injury ahead of Götzis decathlon

Estonian decathlete Karel Tilga, whose personal best stands at 8681 points, is set to compete at the legendary Götzis multi-event competition this weekend. After overcoming a prolonged knee problem, Tilga aims to improve on last year's performance of over 8400 points.

Estonian decathlete Karel Tilga is heading into this weekend's prestigious Götzis decathlon competition in a far better physical condition than in recent times. The athlete, whose personal best stands at 8681 points, has finally shaken off a knee injury that had been troubling him for an extended period.

Tilga described his current physical state positively, saying he is now dealing only with the ordinary aches and challenges that come with competing at the highest level — a stark contrast to the serious knee issues that hampered his preparations in previous months.

At last year's Götzis competition, Tilga managed to accumulate over 8400 points, a respectable result given his injury troubles. This time around, the Estonian hopes to raise his game and post an even stronger total at one of the most storied multi-event meetings in the athletics calendar.

Götzis, held annually in Austria, regularly attracts the world's leading decathletes and heptathletes and is widely regarded as a key early-season benchmark for combined events athletes targeting major championships later in the year.