by Larry Eder
RunBlogRun wrote this piece on the Greek superstar Miltiadis Tentoglou and how he took the European Champs LJ and then decimated the Championship record to put his name on the event.
2022 Munich Diary, a second gold for Greece on day 2, Miltiadis Tentoglou sets a Championship record
Less than a month ago, Miltiadis Tentoglou, Olympic Champion, was in lead with a leap of 8.32 meters in Eugene, Oregon.
Well, Wang Jianan, China, a jumper who had gone 8.46m, busted open an 8.36-meter leap, 4 centimeters farther than the Greek LJ star.
Tentoglou took the silver.
For Miltiadis, in Munich, he would not let that happen again.
The Greek Olympic gold medalist fouled on the first attempt. Thobias Montler, SWE, took the lead with 7.95m, and Eusebio Caseres, ESP, leaped 7.87m. On his second jump, Tentoglou went 8.23 meters, clearly in the lead.
Tentoglou was not done. On attempt 3, he went 8.35m; now, he had two jumps that could have won the LJ.
In the 4th attempt, Jules Pommery, FRA, went 8.06 meters, moving into the silver medal position.
Miltiadis Tentaglou then took the Long Jump into the next world with a fine 8.52-meter leap, giving him three jumps that could have won the competition.
Thobias Montler, on his last attempt, leaped 8.06m, giving him the same jump distance as Pommery. Montler took the silver based on his second best jump, a 7.95m, compared ot the 7.85m of Julies Pommery.
The European gold medal made Miltiadis Tentoglou very happy. The Greek superstar, who has won all global medals but the World Champs gold, told the media:
“As I told you after the qualification, it was just about the right day when it comes. The final is like a really different story today. This time, I was ready and prepared for something big. Finally, I proved that I can do it. I put everything together, and it just worked well. The championship record was something I was looking for, and I longed for it. I started the competition with the fault, but then I settled it down and did save the second jump. I was just waiting for a good moment when the wind stops. And it worked. It was a good competition because I had my family and friends in the stands supporting me and it was a big help. I was also expecting other guys to jump like 820, but it did not happen. Now, the Diamond League final is the next, and then vacation. This result is very special for me, especially since it is a championship record, so it has a special taste.”
