Four times Thobias Montler has had to stand on the podium in international championships. Common to all occasions is that it was silver and that Miltiadis Kentoglou stood between him and the triumph.
Now the Swedish long jump star has put up a note with the text EC gold on the fridge at home to be reminded every day of what is the big goal of the year.
– It’s time for gold now. You get tired of being second, says Montler, who gets a first chance to defeat the Olympic champion from Greece on Thursday night at the Gothenburg Games.
Foto: Jessica Gow/TT
Fierce competitors, but also best friends.
– There are people who you only cheer for when you come to the competition, but we are very close friends both on and off the track, says Montler, who had to settle for the place behind Kentoglou in the indoor EC, 2019 and 2021, as well as in indoor – WC and EC outdoors last year. The Greek was also ahead in the WC in Eugene, but was snubbed for the gold by the Chinese Wang Jianan.
Montler believes that it is Kentoglou’s timing and powerful drop-off that have made him the best in the world.
– When you see him, you don’t really get the feeling that he jumps that far, but something happens when he pushes off the plank. He gets all the speed and all the pressure goes straight ahead. It’s an extreme strength he has, says Montler, who has defeated Kentoglou on five occasions during his career and hopes to do it again at the European Championships in Turkey in just over a month.
Photo: Tomas Ohlsson
It’s the indoor season big goals. Together with trainer Yannick Tregaro, he has honed his technique over the winter and it seems to have paid off. It was 8.19 in the season premiere in Sätra this weekend with two more jumps over 8.10.
– I feel significantly stronger in the run on the way to the plank. The training has paid off well, says Montler, who hopes that the specially constructed track in Friidrotten hus, where he manages his daily training, will be suitable.
This is home ground also for the medal aspirants in the ladies’ cross-country race. Khaddi Sagnia, who started the season with 6.75, is challenged by Tilde Johansson, among others. Having already jumped 6.50 as a 15-year-old, she has had a few tough seasons, but it came off this weekend with 6.63.
– It was not expected, but gave me a lot of confidence, says Johansson.
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