Larissa Iapichino wins European long jump gold by one centimeter in Birmingham

Iapichino wins European long jump gold

Larissa Iapichino became European long jump champion at the 2026 European Athletics Championships in Birmingham, winning with a first-round leap of 7.00 meters at the Alexander Stadium. The 24-year-old Italian edged Britain's Jazmin Sawyers by a single centimeter, with France's Hilary Kpatcha taking bronze at 6.98m. The winning jump was aided by a +2.1 m/s tailwind, above the 2.0 m/s legal limit for record ratification, but valid for competition results. Iapichino's gold was Italy's ninth of the championships.

A contest decided by centimeters

The final was extraordinarily tight, with the top five athletes separated by just six centimeters after four rounds. Iapichino led at 7.00m from her opening attempt, followed by Sawyers at 6.99m, Kpatcha at 6.98m, Portugal's Agate De Sousa at 6.96m, and Germany's Malaika Mihambo at 6.94m. Iapichino's series included a foul on her second attempt, 6.93m on her third, and 6.71m on her fourth. Sawyers produced a more consistent series, with jumps of 6.95m and 6.96m in her early rounds, but lacked the single peak that would have overtaken the Italian. The fifth round produced no changes to the standings. In the sixth and final round, Sawyers managed 6.92m, falling short of Iapichino's mark.

Wind and nerves

Strong tailwinds disrupted the athletes' approach runs throughout the competition, forcing several to reposition their markers on the runway. Between jumps, Iapichino covered her legs with a towel and consulted at length with her father and coach, Gianni Iapichino, maintaining focus in a contest that tested nerves as much as physical ability. The gusts at their backs played a decisive role in the outcome, pushing performances beyond what athletes could replicate in calmer conditions.

From silver to gold

The victory marks Iapichino's first major outdoor international title, following a continental indoor title in 2025 at Apeldoorn. Two years earlier, at the European Championships in Rome, she had taken silver on her final jump. Her rise to the top of the podium in Birmingham completes an ascent that has also seen her claim the Italian record: on July 4 at Eugene in the Diamond League, she jumped 7.12m, surpassing a mark that had belonged to her mother, Fiona May, since August 22, 1998, a span of nearly 28 years. The improvement was by a single centimeter.

Mental and technical evolution

After eliminations at the 2022 and 2025 World Championships and the 2025 Tokyo event, Iapichino restructured her approach. She ended her work with a mental coach, building greater mental independence, and began working with a psychologist on aspects outside sport. She also modified her approach technique with her father, eliminating the standing pre-start in favor of a run-up designed to generate higher speed. The key detail, according to the reporting, is the first step: when Iapichino reads the approach correctly, she can build the jump she seeks.

Italy's medal table edge

Iapichino's gold drew Italy level with Great Britain on gold medals at nine each, but Italy held the tiebreaker: both nations had five silvers, while Italy had five bronzes to Britain's two. Italy added another bronze on the final day in the women's 4x400m relay, where Alessandra Bonora, Anna Polinari, Alice Mangione, and Eloisa Coiro finished behind the Netherlands, led by Femke Bol, and Great Britain.