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 landed with 6.98 meters, twelve centimeters behind Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall. With another success, Mihambo would have been the first long jumper in Olympic history to win gold twice in a row. The LG Kurpfalz athlete is also twice world champion and European champion.
The sixth from Tokyo wins gold
This time, the American Davis-Woodhall is at the top of the podium. The World Championship runner-up won with 7.10 meters. In 2021 in Tokyo, the 25-year-old was sixth. Her US teammate Jasmine Moore celebrated bronze with 6.96 meters.
US long jumper Davis-Woodhall celebrates after Olympic victory. Photo: IMAGO/Shutterstock
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The other German competitors, Mikaelle Assani and Laura Raquel Müller, were unable to qualify for the final in Saint-Denis near Paris. The only German medal in athletics to date was won by decathlete Leo Neugebauer, who won silver.
Mihambo secured her European Championship title two months ago in Rome with the world best of the year of 7.22 meters, which also made her the favorite for the Olympics. A corona infection then slowed the three-time Sportswoman of the Year down during her preparations, but she was back in shape in time. After two invalid attempts, Mihambo only managed to qualify in the Stade de France in the last jump with 6.86 meters.
Cautious start in the Olympic final
In the final in front of 70,000 spectators, including rapper Snoop Dogg and gymnastics star Simone Biles, Mihambo started cautiously. In the stands near the long jump facility, steeplechase runner Gesa Felicitas Krause also saw two valid attempts at 6.77 meters and 6.81 meters, but the competition started stronger.
Mihambo had deliberately moved her run-up about a meter back in order to hit the board better than in the qualification. There she had jumped 6.86 meters at the decisive moment – and had wasted 30 centimeters.
Davis-Woodhall was the first to sail over the seven-meter mark in the second round, landing at 7.05 meters. Mihambo then came closer with 6.95 meters, but the next attempt was invalid. Leader Davis-Woodhall improved by another five centimeters, Mihambo got closer to the seven-meter mark and secured her second Olympic medal. “Come on,” she said before her last attempt, but the jump for gold like in Tokyo didn’t work – Mihambo ran through.
