Mihambo is amazed by her near-flawless long jump performance.
Although waiting for the distance of her second jump to show up, Malaika Mihambo reigns supreme in the long jump at the European Athletics Championships with an extraordinary performance she herself refers to as "insane." For the Olympics, she predicts even more remarkable events, as she warns her rivals.
Mihambo, known for her cool and collected demeanor, waits eagerly for the distance of her second jump to be displayed. At the European Athletics Championships, the 30-year-old is put through her paces. It's only when the men's 4x400-meter relay starts that the solution emerges. The usually reserved jumpper passionately cheers, scarcely containing her excitement. She yells, clinches her fists, and embraces her coach Uli Knapp. 7.22 meters - a record-breaking performance. Right off the bat, it's apparent that no competitor can lay claim to the gold. Silver goes to the Italian Larissa Iapichino (6.94), and bronze lands with Agate De Sousa (6.91) of Portugal, who bests the second German, Mikaelle Assani.
"That's also kind of crazy, I was really happy. I even got a little goosebump because it was my second-best jump in my career," Mihambo says on ZDF. It's a monumental accomplishment that she snags at the Olympic Stadium in Rome. A feat that even earns the admiration of triple jump European champion Jordan Alejandro Diaz Fortun from Spain. He's there in the audience, stunned and amazed, and smiles, waving his hands. And he must understand the gravity of long distance jumps, as he himself leapt an astounding 18.18 meters in the triple jump on Tuesday, lifting him to third place on the all-time world best list.
The Olympic champion, double world champion, and now two-time European champion herself is the only competitor who has launched herself farther than 7.22 meters - just barely: she soared 7.30 meters at the World Championship title in 2019 in Doha. "That gives me another sizable boost of motivation. I was already doing well. I felt it. Now I know I'm back to being comparable to the Doha season," Mihambo says after the competition.
On the last day of the EM, she brings home the first gold medal for the German team. She excelled in the qualification. With 7.04 meters, she easily progressed. With the same 6.70 meters demanded, she made it to the final. The second jump is then the gold jump, even with her fifth attempt at 7.04 meters, she'd have been the uncontested gold medalist.
In a discipline where everything hinges on millimeters in the approach and on the board, where the jump must be executed to absolute perfection, flaws are hard to avoid. Knapp's description of it as "almost perfect" is high praise for his talented athlete. She herself admits there's room for improvement, the wind wasn't quite as favorable as she'd hoped for during such a jump, she says to ZDF. In response to the query of whether she might have crossed over without the wind, she laughs: "Possible, but perhaps I just handled it well."
Mihambo can fully capitalize on the advantages of the unique facility at the stadium. The pits are perched atop a 3-meter-high platform, largely referred to as a swing floor. Those who utilize it properly can seemingly swan a bit further than on entirely solid ground. The atypical setup of the springers and jumpers at this EM has already been evident in the standout distances attained in the triple jump and the men's long jump.
Mihambo has positioned herself as the favorite for the Olympic Games in Paris. The furthest jump this year came courtesy of the American Tara Davis-Woodhall at 7.18 meters. The distances in play promise a thrilling showdown at the Stade de France. She's heading to Paris as the current champion, where no triple jumper has won two Olympic gold medals before. In fact, only one triple jumper has secured two Olympic golds at all: Heike Drechsler triumphed in 1992 and 2000. Already in 2022, this was a considerable compliment for her successor, whom Mihambo dubbed a "phenomenon."
Last year, Mihambo had to sit out the World Championships due to an injury. She claimed the world championship in 2022 but lost her title two weeks later at the domestic EM in Munich, earning silver. She had previously discussed her limitations commensurate with her COVID-19 infection. All these issues now lie in the past, she's healthy again. Her reluctance to give a fourth attempt doesn't relate to any restrictions. Instead, it's purely a precaution, as numerous jumps are to be performed in rapid succession in the competition, a situation particularly tough on the legs. She just doesn't require it. Her opponents are gnashing their teeth over her distance.
This 30-year-old woman, able to shut out distractions and even meditate during competitions, is surprising many with her aggressive behavior. She's confident and reserved, but is now pushing boundaries like never before. With eight weeks left until the Olympics, she's eager to see how far this newfound aggression will take her. And her competitors might want to take note - she's confident that she'll only get more intense as the games approach.
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Mihambo expresses hope for even more impressive performances at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, building on her success at the European Athletics Championships and World Championships. In anticipation of the Parisian event, her rivals should be warned of her increasing intensity and determination.
With her exceptional long jump performance at the European Athletics Championships, Malaika Mihambo aspires to not only defend her title at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris but also add another gold medal to her accomplishments, aiming to surpass the great Heike Drechsler's record of two Olympic gold medals in the triple jump.
