The days when Malaika Mihambo was the only long jumper at world level seem to be over. Laura Raquel Müller and Mikaelle Assani give hope for a great future.
Two competitions, twice no victory – the year 2024 could have started more successfully for Malaika Mihambo. The two-time world champion and Tokyo Olympic champion had to take a break for almost 200 days before she came fourth in Dortmund with 6.65 meters. At the ISTAF in Düsseldorf on Sunday (February 4, 2024), 6,350 spectators serenaded her on her 30th birthday the day before, but then she was the only athlete who had to pack her things early after three invalid attempts.
Mihambo with a surprisingly positive conclusion
What seems disappointing at first glance was far from a step backwards for her. “I set out to have a good competition and I succeeded. Because from a training perspective, I internalized the little bit that I still needed“, said Mihambo in the Sportschau interview. Her third attempt was the furthest of the day, but her timing in the run-up wasn’t right. So a “salto nullo” remains in the results list, but for her feeling this jump is proof that it was with her again goes towards seven meters.
“Of course it’s a shame that the competition ended so early because you could see that the level was very high and I didn’t manage to get a top jump on the board“, Mihambo still mourned a little afterward that she couldn’t compete for victory with her teammates.
New competition from Germany
Because like in Dortmund, two young DLV athletes who are currently causing a sensation achieved the best results. The 21-year-old Mikaelle Assani won the ISTAF with a distance of 6.64 meters ahead of Laura Raquel Müller (6.52 m). Previously in Dortmund, Müller was ahead of Assani with the world’s best performance of 6.81 meters. Mihambo is happy about the new national competition. It be “It’s great that something is coming along, there was more of a vacuum for a few years“.
Mihambo still knows times when you had to fight for a place despite meeting the standards, but now only very few long jumpers meet the requirements. Now such a time could return again. “But I’m completely relaxed about it because competition stimulates business. Things are now getting even more exciting within Germany and I believe that this will give us all a boost” said Mihambo.
Müller is looking forward to “fighting at the front”
Müller in particular, who is only 19 years old, is fueling the hope that the world’s best in the long jump will become even more German. She has now lost her world best for the year because Ackelia Smith (Jamaica) managed 6.85 meters on Friday (February 2nd, 2024), but despite muscular problems, she once again proved in Düsseldorf that she is capable of an eventful year of indoor athletics -World Cup in Glasgow, outdoor European Championships in Rome and the Olympic Games in Paris.
However, Müller would like to temper expectations somewhat. “It’s only January and the year is yet to come. But it will be fun to fight at the front“, she said in the Sportschau conversation: “My performance opens new doors for competitions, which I am very happy about. I can gain experience.”
Long jumper Laura Raquel Müller came second at the Istaf in Düsseldorf.
A long period of suffering is over
Müller has long been considered an outstanding talent and in 2021, at the age of 17, he jumped a distance of 6.50 meters at an advanced world level. Now she is on her way to the top. In between, she had to take a break for almost a year and a half due to edema in her foot, a torn muscle bundle and a torn fiber.
When her muscles responded again between the attempts in Düsseldorf, she felt “Fear“Up, but not before another serious injury.”I turned that off completely, it was a while ago“, said Müller: “It was just sore muscles from training, I don’t have to worry about it.“
Müller always expects “something really crazy” from Mihambo
Likewise, German athletics doesn’t seem to have anything to worry about in the women’s long jump. “We are very strong right now and that hasn’t been the case for a long time. But I’m also happy about it because it makes each and every one of us better. We all get along really well, which is why every competition is fun. I’m excited to see what the year brings” said Müller.
She is enjoying what is currently happening, but also believes that exceptional jumper Mihambo will soon return as a winner. “Malaika keeps coming back and then does something really bad“Prophesied Müller. But you can now also trust other long jumpers from the DLV team to do that.