Long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo gained new self-confidence for her targeted world championship hat-trick at the German championships – but injured her thigh during her German championship title in Kassel.
According to the German Athletics Association, Mihambo’s participation in the World Championships in Budapest (19th to 27th August) is apparently not in acute danger.
As the DLV announced, “no crack” was found during an ultrasound examination, the first diagnosis is hardening. Mihambo will be observed in the next few days.
“The back of my thigh is cramped and I’ve been in pain ever since,” said Mihambo: “If I’m lucky, it’s nothing. If I’m unlucky, it’s a strain or a torn muscle fiber.” The world champion won her sixth German title in a row on Sunday with a best performance of the season of 6.93 m, but was unable to finish the competition.
Her ambitions for the world championship were dampened despite her previous good performance. Mihambo did not complete the last two attempts after breaking off her attempt in the fourth round. As a result, Mihambo cooled her left thigh with a bag of ice.
Mihambo convinces right from the start
With her 6.66 m achieved before the DM, Mihambo had only traveled to Hesse as number three in Germany, Mikaelle Assani (Baden-Baden/6.91) and Maryse Luzolo (Königstein/6.68) had better performances in the entry list stand. As the defending champion, the 29-year-old did not have to worry about her participation in the World Cup.
In front of 13,000 spectators in the Auestadion, Mihambo left no doubt about her success from the start. In the very first attempt, Mihambo, who had been thrown back by an infection in preparation, flew close to the seven-meter mark in her best attempt, giving away only four centimeters on the board.
The athlete from the LG Kurpfalz then had more jumps followed by another jump to 6.93 m before she grimaced in pain at the start in the fourth round.
Mihambo can complete the triple at the World Cup in Hungary and become world champion for the third time in a row. Only the US record world champion Brittney Reese (2009, 2011, 2013) managed this before her.