Long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo takes great motivation for the summer from the European Championships without a medal.
“Of course it’s a pity that it didn’t work out with a medal,” said the 29-year-old world champion after fourth place at the European Championships in Istanbul. “It’s a good motivation to keep working on yourself and to be hungry for more in the summer and to be able to attack even better.”
Victory in Istanbul went to Briton Jazmin Sawyers, who brought the long jump title to Great Britain for the first time in 39 years with a best distance of 7.00 meters. One of the first to wish well was Mihambo, who hugged her longtime competitor after the gold jump.
“Jazmin Sawyers waited so long for the seven meters, so I was very happy with her,” said Mihambo. Until the fifth round, the 29-year-old was still in the lead with 6.83 meters. But then a trio passed the two-time world champion. Silver went to Italy’s Larissa Iapichino with 6.97 meters, bronze to Serbian Ivana Vuleta with 6.91 meters.
Gathering strength in the Allgäu
“As the competition progressed, my run-up became more and more stable. That’s a good sign. We worked on that during the indoor season. I have the feeling that it’s bearing fruit,” said Mihambo. The highlight for track and field athletes is the Outdoor World Championships in August in Budapest. “She was in a very good mood, but unfortunately didn’t hit a jump exactly,” said coach Ulli Knapp of the German Press Agency. “Now it’s about preparing even more for the summer.”
After the return trip to Germany, a training camp is planned in the Allgäu. “There, Malaika will work on fitness with cross-country skiing, yoga, or hiking at altitude”; said Knapp. “We had very good experiences with that a year ago. I think it makes sense for the body to experience completely different loads as a training stimulus.”
Even without the premiere title in the hall, Knapp and Mihambo take a lot of confidence for the summer. “Our goal was to turn the speed screw this indoor season and that worked. Malaika hasn’t been as fast as it is now in three years. That’s promising – also for the summer,” said Knapp.
