Doubt?

Long jump superstar Mihambo just jumps away

Created: 08/17/2022, 12:45 p.m

By: Nico-Marius Schmitz

Won her preliminary fight confidently: Malaika Mihambo waves to the audience.

© Sven Hoppe/dpa

Malaika Mihambo has not had an easy time.

There were doubts before the European Championships in Munich - but she convinced in the qualification.

Munich – The face of German athletics, the long jump queen, the hope for gold in all competitions.

Malaika Mihambo was again overwhelmed with superlatives before the European Championship.

ARD expert Frank Busemann said in an interview with our newspaper that the pressure finally had to be distributed to a few more German athletes.

But dealing with pressure, Mihambo can do that.

On Tuesday morning, the 28-year-old made a noise in the Olympic Stadium, which was still relatively small, and qualified for the final in her usual confident manner.

The blocks in front of the long jump facility were all already well filled.

Of course, everyone wants to see the German star.

After the World Cup, Mihambo became infected with the corona virus.

Felt tired and listless, could not train for ten days.

“The feeling of insecurity about one's own capabilities remains.

You start out of cold pants,” she said at the Erdinger Pre Camp.

Yesterday the first attempt was invalid, but you didn't have to tremble for long.

6.99 meters in the second attempt - all remaining doubts gone.

In the final on Thursday (8:58 p.m., ARD), the Olympic champion from Tokyo and world champion from Eugene will then also aim for the European championship title.

It would be the third major triumph in twelve months, the Mihambo triple.

The performance in the qualification underpinned their favorite status.

Already in the last training sessions before Munich, she noticed that she hadn't lost that much through the quarantine.

"Of course it's something else to do under competitive conditions, many athletes don't succeed."

Mihambo has made almost no mistakes in the competitions for years, dominating the long jump.

And if something doesn't fit, as with the invalid attempt on Tuesday, it is corrected immediately.

"No problem.

I knew exactly what it was.

I was able to control that without trembling.” It is trust in your own body, in your own abilities

Mihambo now hopes that she will feel better for the finale: "I'm happy that there is still so much left.

6.99 speaks for itself somewhere.”

NICO MARIUS SCHMITZ