Tentoglou: fourth European title at 8.44 meters

Miltos Tentoglou won his fourth consecutive European title in the long jump, in the final held on the evening of Tuesday, August 11 at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, during the European Open Track and Field Championship. The Greek long jumper won with a jump of 8.44 meters, with a headwind of -1.1.

With this victory, he became the first Greek athlete to win four European titles in the same event, solidifying a series of distinctions that has established him as the top long jumper on the continent over the past five years. Second place went to Swiss Simon Ehammer with 8.29 meters, fifteen centimeters behind the Greek champion.

Third place was taken by Bulgarian Bozdar Sarambouyoukof with 8.26 meters. The final was held with steady headwind, which limited the performances of all twelve participating long jumpers. Headwind slows the pace and removes centimeters from each jump, making the winning performance all the more remarkable.

Tentoglou’s path in the final had difficulties. His first three jumps were 8.27, 8.19 and 8.27 meters, with a takeoff 20, 20 and 18 centimeters short of the valid point on the board. This distance translates to equal loss in the final jump length and is a classic technical problem in headwind conditions, when the athlete struggles to synchronize pace with the takeoff point.

On his fourth attempt, he corrected the takeoff, with just five centimeters short of the board, and achieved 8.44 meters that gave him the title. He then skipped his fifth attempt and did not compete in the sixth, as the performance was already out of reach of the other athletes. His coach is Giorgos Pomaski, who has worked with him for years.

In Grevena, the athlete’s hometown, celebrations were intense. The city has been connected with Tentoglou’s journey since his first steps on the track, and his distinctions have served as motivation for children to join local athletic clubs in recent years, in an area with limited athletic facilities.

Success comes at a time when Greek track and field is seeking continuity in events with a history of distinctions. The long jump remains the event in which the country has the strongest presence at the international level, both in European and world competitions. More from Greece on the Greece page.