For the superflyer Malaika Mihambo, this time there is silver.
Malaika Mihambo wins silver at the Olympic Games. The long jumper couldn't defend her title from Tokyo 2021, but the German sensation still manages to secure a medal.
Long jumper Malaika Mihambo won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. Three years after winning gold in Tokyo, the 30-year-old finished with a jump of 6.98 meters, 12 centimeters behind Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall. With another victory, Mihambo could have become the first long jumper in Olympic history to win back-to-back gold medals. The LG Kurpfalz athlete is also a two-time world and European champion.
American Tara Davis-Woodhall takes the gold this time, winning with a jump of 7.10 meters. In 2021, the 25-year-old finished sixth in Tokyo. Bronze goes to Davis-Woodhall's American teammate Jasmine Moore with a jump of 6.96 meters.
Started with invalid attempts
Mihambo secured her European title two months ago in Rome with a world-leading jump of 7.22 meters, which also put her in the favorite role for the Olympics. A COVID-19 infection slowed her down in preparation, but she still managed to get back into shape. Mihambo qualified for the final with a jump of 6.86 meters on her last attempt after two invalid ones.
In the final in front of 70,000 spectators, including rapper Snoop Dogg and gymnastics star Simone Biles, Mihambo started cautiously. Krause, the hurdler sitting near the long jump pit, saw two valid attempts from Mihambo at 6.77 meters and 6.81 meters, but the competition started stronger.
Mihambo had moved her approach back by about a meter to better hit the board than in qualification, where she jumped 6.86 meters but still gave away 30 centimeters.
Davis-Woodhall soared over the seven-meter mark in her second attempt and landed at 7.05 meters. Mihambo then came closer with 6.95 meters, but her next attempt was invalid. Leader Davis-Woodhall improved by another five centimeters, Mihambo approached seven meters and secured her second Olympic medal. "Come on," she said before her last attempt, but the jump for gold like in Tokyo didn't happen - Mihambo ran out of the pit.
The Olympic Games 2024 in Paris is where long jumpers will aim for glory, following Malaika Mihambo's silver medal achievement at the 2024 Olympic Games. Despite not defending her title from the previous games in Tokyo 2021, Mihambo's performance showed her resilience and consistency, setting her as a potential contender for the upcoming Paris Games.
