Tentoglou clears 8.26m to reach European long jump final in Birmingham

Qualifying round in Birmingham

The European Athletics Championships opened in Birmingham on 10 August with the long jump qualifying round. Miltos Tentoglou, the 28-year-old Greek champion and reigning European champion, needed only two attempts to secure his place in the final. His first jump measured 7.78m after he took off approximately 34cm behind the board. He explained that a headwind caught him during the approach, forcing him to plant his foot well behind the takeoff board. He said the morning scheduling was difficult for him and that without the wind change he would have cleared the qualifying standard of 8.15m on his first attempt. On his second try, with favorable wind conditions, he reached 8.26m, comfortably exceeding the standard. Tentoglou arrived in Birmingham in strong form, having equaled the Greek national record of 8.66m at the Panhellenic Championship in Volos on 26 July.

Tentoglou's assessment

After the qualifier, Tentoglou spoke to ERT cameras about his performance and the stadium conditions. He praised the takeoff boards and the tartan surface, saying he preferred mondo tracks but that this was one of the best he had seen, comparable to Monaco. He criticized the sand preparation, saying the rakes used by ground staff left the sand uneven and that a different machine should be used to level it more smoothly before the final. He described his first jump as "terrible" but said the issue was corrected on the second attempt. He called the qualifier one of his best, comparing it to his 8.32m performance in the Paris qualifying round.

I'm definitely in good condition. It just wasn't necessary to show it now, we'll see it in the final. This is one of the best qualifiers I've done, after Paris. 8.32m in Paris and then this.

He added that he expects bigger marks in the final.

Jumps at 8.50 will come easily to me, I don't know if anyone can follow.

Other competitors

The second Greek entrant, Nikolaos Stamatonikolos, did not advance after finishing 10th in qualifying Group A. He recorded 7.49m on his first attempt, 7.55m on his second, and fouled on his third. He attributed the result to a technical error of starting his jumps too far back.

I'm not disappointed. Due to some technical error I was starting my jumps from too far back and the performance I wanted didn't come out. I believe I had the jumps to qualify, but I didn't manage it.

Italian Mattia Furlani, the 2024 European silver medalist from Rome, injured himself on his second attempt and withdrew from the competition.

What's next

The long jump final is scheduled for Tuesday, 11 August at 22:16 Greek time and will be broadcast on ERT2. Tentoglou will attempt to win his fourth consecutive European Championship gold medal, having previously topped the podium in 2018, 2022, and 2024. He enters the final as the clear favorite, with the opportunity to extend a streak of three consecutive European titles that began in 2018.