Track and field events - Mihambo claims her second European Championship long jump gold medal.
Malaika Mihambo, the triumphant long jump champion, enthusiastically brandished a German flag and pranced about near the sandpit in celebration after her astounding victory at a record-breaking 7.22 meters, which also surpassed her second most remarkable feat in her impressive career. This result turned out to be the German Athletics Federation's prized win of the day.
Elated Ending for Athletes
Under the leadership of the incomparable Mihambo, who had previously finished second at the European Championships two years prior due to a coronavirus infection, German athletes managed an elated conclusion in the Olympic Stadium. Beaming with pride, Julian Weber, even though he failed to regain his javelin throw title with a 85.94-meter attempt, exulted in his accomplishment of landing the silver medal. "I would've liked to win my title back, but that silver sure makes me happy," remarked the 29-year-old.
Surprisingly Strong Men's Relay Showing
Julian Weber's rivalry with the Czech Jakub Vadlejch in the javelin throw ended with Vadlejch's best throw of 88.65 overtaking Weber's final attempt. But Mihambo made her mark from the start. Mihambo's historic jump in Rome was bested only by her own 2019 World Championships in Doha performance. Currently, she is the top jumper in the world, surpassing Tara Davis-Woodhall of the United States (7.18). Regrettably, 21-year-old Mikaelle Assani narrowly missed out on the bronze medal with 6.91 meters, her season's best.
A Promising Prophecy for Olympic Hopes
As the prelude to the Olympic Games, Mihambo's outstanding performance at the European Championships sparked hope for victory in Tokyo. When you compare this to the period before the European Championships in Munich, where Germany, captained by the unremarkable double European champion Gina Lückenkemper and her astounding 7 gold, 7 silver, 2 bronze medals, expectations seemed far from favorable. Yet, Weber, who also dreams of Olympic glory, is an exception to this.
A Slight Turnaround: European Championships Indicated a Change in Fortune
"We've been muddling along at various European Championships below the top level," remarked Jörg Bügner, the sports director of the DLV, a year after Germany's zero-medal performance in Budapest. The European Championships marked a slight improvement on the previous trend.
A significant golden moment for Gesa Felicitas Krause, who was returning from a year's absence after the birth of her daughter Lola, the silver medal in the title recovery boosted her path to Paris. In contrast, athletes such as discus throwers, heptathletes, or high jumpers, notably failed to achieve this milestone. Bügner sighed, "While we have a solid foundation, we can't overlook the areas where we've faltered."
Near-miss For the 4x400m Relay Squad
Certainly not applicable to the surprise performance of the 4x400m relay team. Manuel Sanders, Jean Paul Bredau, Marc Koch, and hurdler specialist Emil Agyekum came in third, finishing with 3:00.82 minutes, just one-hundredth behind the Italians. The gold was won by the Belgian team in 2:59.84 minutes.
