Born: 1994
Biography:
Malaika Mihambo (German: [malaka mihambo] (listen); born 3 February 1994) is a German athlete and the current Olympic and world champion in long jump. Mihambo’s athletic career began around 2009 when, at the age of 15, she became the German under-16 champion with the heptathlon team and also set a best performance with the 4×100 meters relay team that lasted until 2018.
In the long jump, Mihambo finished ninth at the 2011 World Youth Championships. She went on to compete in the 2012 World Junior Championships and the 2013 World Championships but did not reach the final round. Despite this, she won the gold medal at the 2013 European Junior Championships and finished fourth at the 2014 European Championships.
Her first major senior event victory came at the 2014 European Team Championships, where she set a new championship record with a jump of 6.90 meters. Mihambo’s career continued to progress as she won the gold medal at the 2015 European U23 Championships and finished sixth at the World Championships.
At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Mihambo narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth. However, she redeemed herself by winning the bronze medal at the 2016 European Athletics Championships. Unfortunately, a serious foot injury disrupted her preparations for the 2017 World Championships. After several difficult months, she overcame the injury and finished fifth at the World Indoor Championships.
Mihambo’s star began to rise in 2018 when she won the gold medal at the European Athletics Championships. In 2019, she had her most successful season, consistently jumping over 7 meters. She won the IAAF Diamond League and became a world champion for the first time.
In 2021, Mihambo reached the pinnacle of her career by winning the Olympic gold medal at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo with a jump of 7.00 meters, defeating Brittney Reese and Ese Brume, both with jumps of 6.97 meters. She made history as the first European to become world champion in the long jump at least twice in a row. Mihambo defended her world title from 2019 at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, winning the gold medal once again with a seasonal best of 7.12 meters. This impressive feat also made her the first long jumper to win at the world’s most important track and field competitions four times consecutively.
Although her streak came to an end during the 2022 European Championships, where she finished with a silver medal, Mihambo remains a dominant force in the long jump. With the support of the home crowd, she managed a leap of 7.03 meters while battling through health issues. Ivana Vuleta of Serbia claimed the European title with a jump of 7.06 meters, while Jazmin Sawyers representing England won the bronze medal with a leap of 6.80 meters.
Malaika Mihambo’s personal best in the long jump is 7.30 meters, achieved on October 6 at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Since then, this distance has stood as her career best, symbolizing her incredible talent and dedication to her craft.
Awards:
– Olympic Gold Medal (2021)
– World Champion in Long Jump (2019, 2021, 2022)
– European Champion in Long Jump (2018)
– European Junior Champion in Long Jump (2013)
– German Under-16 Champion with Heptathlon Team
– German Record Holder in 4×100 Meters Relay