Miltiadis Tentoglou in the long jump in Rabat (© Diamond League / Matt Quine)
Having won every major title as a European, the Greek athlete now has his sights set on adding the outdoor World Championships gold medal to his impressive collection on 24 August in Budapest.
On 22 July 2022, at Eugene's Hayward Field, Miltiadis Tentoglou dominated the men's long jump world championships final with a series of strong performances. Despite the first invalid attempt, he quickly regained his momentum with jumps measuring 8.30m, 8.29m, 8.24m, and 8.32m. Up until that point, he held the top position and was on track for a gold medal.
However, the competition was not over yet. China's Wang Jianan soared to a distance of 8.36m in his sixth attempt, knocking Tentoglou off the coveted gold medal position. Despite a valiant effort with his final jump of 8.20 metres, the Greek athlete settled for silver. Wang's achievement marked a significant comeback after winning bronze at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing at the young age of 18.
At only 25 years old, Tentoglou narrowly missed out on adding the World Championships title to his impressive resume, which already includes victories at the Olympics (2021), the European Championships (2018 and 2022), the World Indoor Championships (2022), and the European Indoor Championships (2019, 2021, 2023). Known for his exceptional performance in major competitions, he remained undefeated in the Diamond League final last year.
Tentoglou boasts a personal best of 8.60m in outdoor events and holds the sixth-best indoor jump of all time (8.55m) since the 2022 World Championships in Belgrade.
While luck eluded him last year, he narrowly clinched victory in the final at the Tokyo Olympics. Going into the last series, Juan Miguel Echevarría led with a jump of 8.41m. However, Tentoglou matched that exact distance, and the tiebreaker was determined by the second-longest jump, in which he prevailed with 8.15 metres, six centimetres ahead of his Cuban rival.
Tentoglou's technique is distinctive and remarkable, partly attributed to his background in parkour during his teenage years. He embarked on his athletics journey at the age of 15 when Evangelos Papanikos recognized his talent and agility. Under the guidance of Georgi Pomashki, Tentoglou achieved his greatest successes.
Witnessing Tentoglou's extraordinary skills is an experience not to be missed. Head to the National Athletics Centre on 24 August to catch a glimpse of this superstar. If he secures the world champion title in Budapest, he will etch his name forever in the annals of sports history.
