Swiss Athletics had their first victory on the European Athletics Championships in Rome straight away. Decathlete Simon Ehammer as soon as once more gained the lengthy bounce specialist and took third place. Appenzeller managed to win the bronze medal within the third try. With a reserve of two.1 cm on the beam, it solely landed within the sand after 8.31 m. He solely jumped three extra instances in his profession, together with in Friday’s qualifier.
“It wasn’t a straightforward competitors, however I am very pleased with the way it went,” Ehammer stated afterwards. The 24-year-old was crying slightly after his effort: “The 8.31m is nice, however I might have performed loads higher on this bounce alone.” Nevertheless, the consistency he can now obtain in lengthy bounce competitions may be very “good”. Now he needs to take the momentum to the Olympics in Paris.
Ehammer misplaced the title that night. Miltiadis Tentoglou, who has dominated the lengthy bounce for years, lived as much as his position as favourite in Rome and have become the European champion for the third time in a row. The Greek solely landed 8.65m on his fifth and sixth makes an attempt In doing so, he not solely broke Ehammer’s annual world greatest from qualifying (8.41m), but additionally set a championship file additionally new.
Ehammer, alternatively, was solely 7 cm in need of silver. Mattia Furlani, who is just 19 years previous, improved his private greatest by 2 cm and even attacked Tentoglou on his final try. Nevertheless, the younger Italian’s leap was dominated out attributable to a slim step.
fifth medal at a serious occasion
For Ehammer it’s the fifth medal at a serious occasion, the second on the European Championships. Two years in the past in Munich, the Appenzeller gained silver in his personal self-discipline, the decathlon. In the identical 12 months he gained bronze within the lengthy bounce competitors in Eugene. He additionally has two World Cup medals in his trophy cupboard within the heptathlon (silver 2022, gold 2024).