Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou has made history at the European Athletics Championships, becoming the first long jumper ever to win four consecutive European titles, securing gold with a leap of 8.44 meters on his fourth attempt.
Mr. Tentoglou, widely regarded as the greatest athlete in Greek track and field history, now stands as the most decorated European long jumper of all time.
He opened strong with a first-round jump of 8.27 meters, before a slightly shorter second attempt of 8.19 meters allowed Austria's Simon Ehammer to briefly take the lead with 8.29 meters.
On his third attempt, Mr. Tentoglou fouled with an overstep but was still credited with 8.27 meters, retaking first place.
Visibly frustrated at having lost the lead earlier, he responded on his fourth jump with 8.44 meters, celebrating emphatically — a rare display of emotion from the usually composed Olympic champion from Grevena.
Mr. Ehammer, reacting with a wry smile after seeing the distance, knew he would need an exceptional jump to respond.
He managed 8.22 meters on his next attempt but could not close the gap. With no competitor able to threaten his lead, Mr. Tentoglou opted to pass on his fifth attempt and skipped his sixth altogether, as it was no longer needed.
The victory marks Mr. Tentoglou's fourth consecutive European Championship gold in the long jump, further cementing his status as one of the sport's all-time greats.
By Kostas Efthymiadis