Long Jump Champion Mihambo Eyes European Championships Amidst Career Questions

Malaika Mihambo, the reigning Olympic long jump champion, is heading into the European Championships in Birmingham with a blend of anticipation and introspection. Despite a season marked by jumps exceeding seven meters, a second-place finish at the German championships left the 32-year-old athlete with a lingering sense of motivation.

"After a competition like that, there's a small nagging feeling that spurs you on," Mihambo told the German Press Agency. "And I've often found that after a less-than-perfect dress rehearsal, I can deliver particularly strong performances at the season's highlight." She acknowledges, however, that there's no guarantee.

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After a competition like that, there's a small nagging feeling that spurs you on. And I've often found that after a less-than-perfect dress rehearsal, I can deliver particularly strong performances at the season's highlight.

Mihambo's performance at the Diamond League meeting in London, where she won with 7.05 meters, contrasts with her 6.63-meter jump at the German championships. "It's good to see that the level is high and the speed is high, and you can achieve a lot," she said, reflecting on her mixed feelings. "But I also took a lot away from the German championships, even though I wasn't entirely satisfied with the result."

The question of what Mihambo can achieve when all elements align in a single jump remains an open one, even for herself. "That is the question that still needs to be answered in my career. I'm very excited about it myself," she stated.

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That is the question that still needs to be answered in my career. I'm very excited about it myself.

Looking ahead to the EM, Mihambo's goal is to give her best and compete with humility. "Good form doesn't automatically mean you win a medal," she noted. "I'm approaching the EM with the goal of delivering an extraordinary performance, which might then, in a second step, be enough for a medal."

Reflecting on a decade since her first EM medal, Mihambo described her career as extraordinary. She also noted her growth as a person throughout her years at the top. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are earmarked as the intended finale of her illustrious career.

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Good form doesn't automatically mean you win a medal. I'm approaching the EM with the goal of delivering an extraordinary performance, which might then, in a second step, be enough for a medal.