The second jump of Miltos Tendoglou was enough to make him the world champion and even on the day of his 24th birthday! The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist “landed” at 8.55m in his second attempt in the long jump final of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, improving the national record that belonged to him from 2019 (8.38m at the European Championships in Glasgow)!
At the same time, George Pomasky's vaulter recorded the sixth best performance of all time in indoor track and field and the third best in Europe behind Spain's Yago Lamela with 8.56m and Germany's Sebastian Bayer with 8.71m from 2009.
Tendoglou was for marginally invalid on his first attempt, «flew» on his second, and was invalid on his third. He continued on his fourth attempt with 8.26m, missed his fifth jump and finished with 8.51!
The silver medal was won by Sweden's Tobias Mondler, with a personal and national record of 8.38m, while the bronze medal went to the American Marquis Denty with 8.27m.
The top performances of all time in indoor track and field:
1. Carl Lewis (USA) 8.79m. 2. Sebastian Baier (Italy) 8.71 3. Ivan Pedroso (Cuba) 8.62 4. Miguel Pate (USA) 8.59 5. Yago Lamela (Spain) 8.56 6. MILTOS TENTOGLOU 8.55 7. Robert Emilien (Soviet Union) 8.49 8. Juan Miguel Echevaria (Cuba) 8.46 9. Yvon Harrison (USA) 8.45 10. Larry Miricks (USA) 8.44 11. Mike Powell (USA) 8.44 12. Luvo Manioga (South Africa) 8.44
World Miltos Tendoglou! With a jump of 8.55 he won the 🥇at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. You continue to make us proud, Miltos.#TeamHellas 🇬🇷#Tentoglou#gold#WABelgrade2022#Belgrade2022 pic.twitter.com/flhLubIvf3
- Hellenic Olympic Committee (@HellenicOlympic) March 18, 2022
