Paris 2024 athletics: All results, as Miltiadis Tentoglou leaps to victory in men’s long jump
Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou leapt to a sensational gold medal in the men’s long jump final at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 on 6 August, jumping 8.48m to claim the gold medal in front of 80,000 spectators at the Stade de France.
The 26-year-old became the first athlete to repeat as Olympic long jump champion in the 21st century, doing so with exceptional speed, power and technique.
“It’s a great achievement,” said Tentoglou. “I am very happy, but very tired. It’s OK. My distance was not bad, not good.”
He added: “I wanted to do a little bit more, but it’s an Olympic final. I had a lot of pressure. I think I managed to do good jumps, all my jumps were good. So I’m happy."
Italy’s Mattia Furlani got the competition off to a thrilling start, jumping 8.34m to take the early lead. His reign over the pit wouldn’t last long, however, as Tentoglou and Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock turned up the heat in the second round of jumps.
Pinnock took the lead first, leaping 8.36m to better Furlani by 0.02m. Tentoglou then jumped further, soaring to a mark of 8.48m to surpass Pinnock’s mark by 0.12m.
All three jumpers would attempt to improve their marks over the next four rounds of competition, but their original marks would prove decisive at the Stade de France.
“I didn’t think my jump was going to be enough because the other guys are very talented and capable,” said Tentoglou. “I was pushing throughout to do more.”
Pinnock echoed Tentoglou’s comments, saying: “Honestly, I wanted to go further. It’s just the mindset, you have to stay focused. When it comes to pressure, when someone puts a big jump out there, you just have to stay focused. I was trying to push too early. I was getting too excited. But it goes like that sometimes.”
Still, he was very pleased to earn a silver medal for all the work he has put into training for the event.
“I was hurt a couple of months ago,” said Pinnock. “I never lost hope. I always stayed positive. I’m not going to lie, it was a tough journey coming back. But as I said, I never lost hope. I prayed about it. And I’m an Olympic silver medallist right now.”
Nineteen-year-old Furlani was overjoyed to share the podium with Tentoglou and Pinnock.
He overcame a lack of experience at the senior level to stun the spectators at the Stade de France with his brilliant leaps well past 8m.
“It’s amazing, with my parents’ support, with this stadium. It’s a dream,” said Furlani. “I live the dream every day. With dedication, work and belief, I’m here with this medal.”
It was a true family affair for Furlani, with his mother acting as his coach in the long jump.
“It’s crazy because on the track, with my little work with my mother, I dreamed of this medal with her, and now I’ve done it. It’s crazy,” added Furlani.
His name, along with Tentoglou and Pinnock, will be recorded in the annals of Olympic history after a night of sensational jumping at the Stade de France.
Athletics: Men’s long jump podium
Gold: Miltiadis Tentoglou, Greece
Silver: Wayne Pinnock, Jamaica
Bronze: Mattia Furlani, Italy
See all the results on Olympics.com.