Onion look and nose shower: Long jump star Malaika Mihambo in an interview

SPIEGEL: Ms. Mihambo, at the beginning of June you landed at the Diamond League meeting in Rome for the first time beyond the magical seven-meter mark. Why are you able to achieve such big jumps seemingly without problems since then?

Mihambo: I got a lot faster at the start and manage to achieve the best possible speed. That's not easy, because on the last steps I accelerate with 9.7 meters per second.

SPIEGEL: At the German Championship you started the race with two failed attempts. Why does something like that happen, despite the exact measured start-up?

Mihambo : I wanted too much that day. Right after the first attempts I wanted to jump over the seven meters and was too impetuous. Then you step over and have to restrain yourself. My coach told me that it's great that I'm so motivated, a valid attempt for a change but not bad. With the 7.16 meters, that worked pretty well in the end.

SPIEGEL: Will you compete at the World Cup with another strategy?

Mihambo: Of course, it's always good to present a decent amount at the beginning. I've been working on that again and I think we did everything right from my last win in Brussels. With my safety jump I landed at 6.97 meters. You can build on that.

SPIEGEL: Her rival, defending champion and Olympic champion Brittney Reese was mostly below seven meters this year. How do you process your pressure to succeed?

Mihambo: My favorite role feels very good. Being number one is an absolutely positive feeling.

Alex Grimm / Getty Images

German Championships 2018: Mihambo brings gold

SPIEGEL: But what if it does not work well in Doha, contrary to expectations?

Mihambo: That must not be the end of the world. If I'm behind, I can not lose my nerve. I will stay positive and believe in victory until the end. It should not be forgotten that my best finish outside of Europe was fourth at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. Anything better would be a success in that sense. But of course I have different goals.

SPIEGEL: It has to be the gold medal?

Mihambo: Put it this way: It's always my claim to show the best. So if I give away about 20 centimeters when jumping, as I did in Brussels, and still land at seven meters, that shows my level. I have 7.20 meters on it and I would like to show this at the end of the season.

SPIEGEL: Is your always positive thinking also a result of your mental training?

Mihambo: The regular discussions with my mental coach Wolfgang Heidelberger Knörzer are very important to me in general, but I try to temper my spirit by meditation. I reflect, look at myself and my role and see if my self-image fits my goals.

Kai Pfaffenbach / REUTERS

Berlin 2018: Mihambo jump to European Championship gold

SPIEGEL: Did you bring that inspiration from your trip to India, where you traveled alone last year?

Mihambo: Inspiration sounds almost too easy in this context. The meditation center I was in was all about mindfulness for ten days. To self-awareness. Silence was announced. No cell phone, no books, nothing to write. That was a very intense and hard time.

SPIEGEL: In Doha, you concentrate entirely on the long jump. Will we see you as a sprinter in the future? With your 100-meter time of 11.21 seconds you would actually have qualified for the World Cup.

Mihambo: That's true, but we decided after the German championship that the sprints are not an issue so soon. I have barely trained for targeted and correspondingly large is still the potential. Besides, I do not want to risk anything in the stadium with its air conditioning.

SPIEGEL: In Qatar, it's hot outside and humid, rather cool in the arena itself and dry. How do you handle the special climatic conditions?

Mihambo: I'll probably walk around in onion look. Warm clothes come to my light clothes, and we also got a nasal shower from the bandage - I will use them. In addition to fruits and vegetables, I treat myself to an extra dose of ginger and then I hope that my immune system goes along with everything.

SPIEGEL: Does your luggage also include a certain lucky charm?

Mihambo : No. I have neither a lucky charm nor other solid rituals. I believe in myself - that must be enough.