Jazmin Sawyers
2026 was a good year for Jazmin Sawyers, winning the Commonwealth Games and coming second in both the European Championship and the World Athletics Ultimate Championship. It was particularly satisfying given her comeback from a serious injury.
In 2023, Jazmin won the World Indoor title with her first-ever 7-meter jump. When she ended her season in September 2023, she had no idea her next competition wouldn’t be until May 2025, after losing the entire 2024 season to recovery from surgery on a ruptured Achilles.
As a teenager, she won a medal in the Commonwealth Youth Games for 4X100, competed in the World Youth Games in the heptathlon, and, in the same year (2012), won medals at the World Juniors in the long jump and at the Youth Olympics in bobsleigh!
Beyond long jump, the heptathlon, and bobsleigh, she has a law degree, is an almost professional-standard singer, an accomplished dressmaker, hosts European Athletics galas, and a commented on the Olympics. We have no information on what she does in the afternoons!
In 2025, in her comeback after injury, she competed 12 times, with a best of 6.89 meters. Her 2026 season initially focused on the two home championships, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham, and she later added the Ultimate.
At the Commonwealth Games, Ruth Osoro (Nigeria) took an early lead with 6.87m, but Jazmin, competing for England, jumped 6.93 m and 6.90 m to confirm her victory.
She commented afterward: “It hasn’t properly hit me how this is the thing I’ve been telling myself all the horrible bits in training are for. The feeling is overwhelming. I will do the horrible bits 100 times over; I’ll do it and do it and do it. This is amazing.”
“Twelve years on, almost to the day, I won a silver here in Glasgow at my first major championships. It was a shock silver, and I’ve held Glasgow close to my heart ever since. It was the start of my career and so sensational, and I had the time of my life, and I take that as one of the best moments of my entire career, but when you’ve one, that’s only one thing to do, which is to upgrade.”
After the competition, she was asked why she talks to herself and what she says! She replied: “I don’t say the same thing every time. I’m repeating my cues from my coach. Today I reminded myself to stay tall while running and keep my take-off leg straight. People want to hear it because they think it will be inspiring, but it won’t be relevant to anyone else. But giving yourself clear directions and telling your body what to do can be so, so helpful.”
The European Championship long-jump was a magnificent competition, with Malaika Mihambo’s 6.94m only good enough for fifth, and Larissa Iapichino with a windy 7.00m. Sawyers had four measured jumps, all 6.90+, with a best of 6.99w and a legal 6.96m. While wind-assisted jumps aren’t eligible for records, any long-jumper will tell you wind isn’t much of an advantage when you are trying to control your run-up.
Jazmin commented afterward on her performance: “I’m feeling so good, it’s hard to feel any better. I suppose I could feel better with maybe a centimeter more, but I just can’t bring myself to be disappointed with that. I am over the moon; it was an unreal series. Every jump I had on the board was over 6.90m; that’s good. I felt like I put them together as well as I could, which is so exciting. It’s great to actually be able to bring my best to a championship. I thought I’d be able to do that for years and years, but I’veI’veer actually managed to be fit and healthy for a long, long time.”
In Budapest, Iapichino won again with 6.90m, and Jazmin came second with 6.78m. Jazmin was delighted: “Once I made it into the event, I realized I actually really wanted to win it, and so there is still some disappointment. But when I zoom out and look at the season as a whole, that is a great result; I’m pleased. I struggled at the start of the competition but fought when the pressure was on. The whole stadium looked pretty impressive, so cool; it was a wow moment for me as an athlete. I hope it comes across the same to everybody else because it was wonderful to be out there. With the prize money, I really want to buy a sewing machine, but I don’t think I can fit it in my apartment.”
Talented in many different ways but still a lovely person. I remember years ago in Zurich asking her if she would do an interview with me. She said “Yes but”after I have competed -Thursday at 11”.
I never doubted that she would keep the engagement, and she did.
