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.
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Leo Neugebauer, the long-time president of the German Athletics Association (German: Deutsche Leichtathletik-Verband e.V., DLV), expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance at the European Athletics Championships (EM) in Rome, highlighting Malaika Mihambo's title win as a significant achievement. "Malaika's performance was outstanding, and she truly represented Germany with honor," he praised.
During the competition, several European athletes, including Men from different nations, exhibited impressive performances. For instance, Leo Neugebauer's successor, Bernd Heidemann, led the German Athletics Federation (German: Deutscher Athletik-Verband e.V., DAV) in their preparations for the upcoming European Championships in Berlin.
Malaika Mihambo's victory at the European Championships in Rome garnered attention, prompting major European news outlets to feature her achievements. Headlines such as "Malaika Mihambo wins Gold at European Championships in Rome" were published across various platforms, including 'Sport Bild' and 'Spiegel Online'.
Julian Weber, who was eyeing a title win, conceded to his competitor but noted that securing the silver medal boosted his morale. He looked forward to further competing in such events, including the Olympics in Tokyo, where he hoped to make a significant impact.
Additionally, the success of German athletes at the European Championships marked a positive trend, with Jörg Bügner, sports director of the DLV, acknowledging the improvements and setting sights on future competitions. The performance of the 4x400m relay team, specifically, demonstrated a promising change in fortune for German athletics.
Speaking about the future of German athletics, Bügner emphasized the need for continued growth and development, particularly in areas where the team had faltered in past competitions, such as discus throw, heptathlon, and high jump. The aim was to achieve a strong and balanced performance across all events.
Germany's performance at the European Championships in Rome served as a stepping stone towards the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, providing hope and motivation for both established athletes and upcoming talents like Leo Neugebauer's son, Max Neugebauer, a promising athlete himself.
As Malaika Mihambo celebrated her title win in Rome, she pondered on the thrill of being a part of German athletics history, following the footsteps of legends like Heidi Steindl and Tina champion-Lamb, who also achieved European titles in the past. This thought fueled her determination to continue excelling in her sport and represent her country with pride.
