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Just a bit more on Jaz Sawyers fantastic win yesterday.
This wasn't the case of a plucky underdog managing to get to the top because her rivals were below-par or off form.
She did it by going toe-to-toe with two of long jumping's greatest exponents of the last 25 years or so, who have won multiple World, Olympic and continental golds, indoors and outdoors, during their careers, in Mihambo and Vuleta. Jaz also prevailed against one of the great young long jump talents Iapchino, who set an Italian NIR during the competition. And it took a World Lead leap and NIR for Jaz to grab the gold.
This was also a deep competition, with just 9cm covered 1st through 3rd, and Mihambo's 6.83m best jump, I believe, is probably the longest distance to not win *any* medals at a EIC in a long time too. (Actually, just doing a quick look back at past editions of the EI, 6.83m was only good enough for 4th place as recently as the 2019 edition in Glasgow.... and the unlucky athlete on that occasion? Why none other than Malakia Mihambo herself!)
It should also be remembered that for all of Sawyers usual consistency of performance at major championships, it actually hadn't been the case in recent times at the European Indoors. In both 2019 and 2021, Sawyers had failed to get out of the qualification round. So this victory must be doubly sweet for her.
This wasn't the case of a plucky underdog managing to get to the top because her rivals were below-par or off form.
She did it by going toe-to-toe with two of long jumping's greatest exponents of the last 25 years or so, who have won multiple World, Olympic and continental golds, indoors and outdoors, during their careers, in Mihambo and Vuleta. Jaz also prevailed against one of the great young long jump talents Iapchino, who set an Italian NIR during the competition. And it took a World Lead leap and NIR for Jaz to grab the gold.
This was also a deep competition, with just 9cm covered 1st through 3rd, and Mihambo's 6.83m best jump, I believe, is probably the longest distance to not win *any* medals at a EIC in a long time too. (Actually, just doing a quick look back at past editions of the EI, 6.83m was only good enough for 4th place as recently as the 2019 edition in Glasgow.... and the unlucky athlete on that occasion? Why none other than Malakia Mihambo herself!)
It should also be remembered that for all of Sawyers usual consistency of performance at major championships, it actually hadn't been the case in recent times at the European Indoors. In both 2019 and 2021, Sawyers had failed to get out of the qualification round. So this victory must be doubly sweet for her.
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