Long Jump, Women

The top long jumper for the last decade had been American Brittney Reese, who won Olympic gold in 2012, silver in 2016, and had won four outdoor World Championships, to go with three World Indoor titles. She was almost 35-years-old in Tokyo but was still formidable and was a co-favorite with German Malaika Mihambo, the 2019 World Champion. Two other top challengers were Serbian Ivana Španović, who had two Diamond League wins in 2021, and the USA’s Tara Davis, the 2021 NCAA Champion from the University of Texas.

All the favorites qualified although Mihambo needed three attempts to get an automatic qualifier. Španović led qualifying with a second attempt of 7.00 metres.

As the fifth jumper in the final Mihambo took the lead in round one with a jump of 6.83 metres, but the next jumper, Nigerian Ese Brume, surpassed her with 6.97. In round three Reese equalled Brume’s 6.97 mark but took the lead with a better second effort – 6.81 to 6.67. Mihambo had recorded 6.95 in round two. Brume went ahead in round four with a better subsidiary mark, jumping 6.88, just past Reese’s fourth round attempt of 6.87, but Reese responded in round five with 6.95 to retake the lead based on best second attempt.

Mihambo, Brume, and Reese were the last three jumpers in round six, in that order, and Mihambo moved out to 7.00 metres to take the lead. Neither Brume nor Reese could improve on their earlier marks which left Mihambo with the gold medal, Reese the silver, and Brume the bronze.

Mihambo had completed a triumvirate of triumphs in the event, with gold at Tokyo, at the 2019 Worlds, and the 2018 European Championships. Reese repeated as silver medallist, giving her three medals in the events, in addition to her London gold. For Nigeria it was the third Olympic medal in the event, after Chioma Ajunwa’s gold in 1996 and Blessing Okagbare’s silver in 2008.