Long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo approaches her title defenses at the World and European Championships with “ease”. The 28-year-old is the German athletes’ biggest hope for gold.
Long jump Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo is looking forward to the World and European Championships in the coming weeks with great anticipation.
She wants to successfully defend her title at the World Championships from July 15th to 24th in Eugene/USA as well as at the home European Championships in Munich from August 15th to 21st. In an interview with the German Press Agency, the 28-year-old talks about sporting and personal goals, political issues such as the war in Ukraine and her further career plans.
You are an Olympic champion, world champion, European champion, and with the World and European Championships, you are about to defend your title. What does the thought of it do to you?
Malaika Mihambo: I’ve achieved everything you could wish for in my sporting life. I am very grateful for that. I find that I no longer have this hunger for titles or the feeling that I have to prove something to anyone else or to myself. That’s why I can now go to the start very easily and relaxed. I hope that I can use this looseness to jump even better and further.
When would 2022 be a success for you?
Mihambo: For me, 2022 would be a successful year if I could say at the end of the year that I had very good competitions, gave my best and was able to show what I’m made of. On the other hand, it’s always about working on my own happiness and developing and growing as a person. That is more important to me than any sporting success.
You address it: develop further, grow, you love progress, as you have often emphasized. What progress have you made since your Olympic victory?
Mihambo: I’ve made some progress. On the one hand, technical advances after I had problems with my run-up, especially in 2021. Now I have the feeling that we managed that very well over the winter. We worked intensively on the sprint and the sprint technique. That pays off. The speeds are very high again – similar to 2019 when I became world champion. And I’ve also developed personally.
Speaking of progress, you are a very political person and like to talk about non-sports issues. What advances would you like to see in society at the moment?
Mihambo: I would like to see a lot of progress in society. Our system, as we live together right now, shows us that it doesn’t work in many places. When it comes to a topic such as sustainability, it is up to the consumer to use less or buy the right thing. But ultimately politics should create the framework so that the consumer can only decide between sustainable and sustainable. Another issue is togetherness. Corona has made the split even clearer, and new media are accelerating these processes. The tone becomes rougher. The task now would be to look for new alternatives. As an athlete you cannot solve such fundamental points, but you can point them out. Only many people can solve this anyway, but raising awareness is an important step on this path.
As an environmental scientist, how do you view the current energy problem?
Mihambo: Of course I’m thinking and I see the problems in the current situation. It’s also a consequence of decisions we made a few years ago. It is not sustainable to keep choosing the seemingly right but fragile path. Now it would be time to go new ways that are also future-proof.
At the start of the competition year, you talked about how much the war in Ukraine weighed on you. How is this currently?
Mihambo: That took me a lot and put a strain on me – and it still takes me with me today. Unfortunately, war is part of the agenda in our world, even if it was often perceived differently in Europe because of the distance. The war in Ukraine changed that. The situation there affects me very much.
How is the contact with your Ukrainian long jump colleague Maryna Bech-Romantschuk?
Mihambo: She’s the only Ukrainian track and field athlete that I’m closely related to. We compete in the same competitions and have known each other since we competed in international youth competitions. At the beginning of this war of aggression by Russia, I asked her how she and her family were, whether she was safe, whether I could do anything for her. At the competitions we also talked about their lives during the war. I am connected to her beyond the sporting side, even during this time.
How important and positive is it that athletes from Ukraine are allowed and able to compete in international competitions?
Mihambo: That is very important. On the one hand, it’s the athlete’s job and it’s nice when you can practice it and at least get a bit of normality. They can and want to translate their suffering into good performance. On the other hand, the starts and achievements are also a sign for society. Sport can be a good way to bring positive news to this troubled country.
On the other hand, athletes from Russia are not allowed to start at the World Cup and European Championship without exceptions. Is that a correct and consistent response or do they regret that these athletes were excluded?
Mihambo: On a personal level, it’s very unfortunate. An athlete’s life is short and every athlete wants to make the best use of their time. This is tragic for the individual. Especially for those who have little contact with Russia’s political system. But here the big picture prevails. Of course, sport is also a stage that can be used as a domestic political tool, and I think it’s right to significantly minimize this stage for Russia. I think it’s legitimate that the sport excludes Russian athletes.
Let’s get back to you. They have won everything in their sport. What does your further sporting path look like?
Mihambo: I often ask myself that too. I keep going as long as my body cooperates and my desire and ability allow it. I am driven by curiosity to see where I can still get to. How far can I jump? In addition, it is also an inner mastery. I always take the sport as an external championship to see how far I can improve. But internally it is an important way for me to be able to mentally engage with things even better and to grow. And I would like to continue on this path.
How has your mental strength changed since winning the Olympics?
Mihambo: I was able to learn a lot on the way to winning the Olympics. In 2019, the year of my world title, it was very easy. You simply won every competition by at least 20 centimeters. It is not difficult to believe in yourself when everything is going well and is easy. Then in 2021 I had to – or rather was allowed – to learn how difficult it is to believe in yourself when things are not going well and you think in almost every competition that you left the competition undervalue. If an outsider denies the ability to perform or gives up one, you shouldn’t start sawing your own chair, you have to keep believing in yourself.
Her best distance is 7.30 meters, this year 7.09 is the top value. How far can that go in your career? Do you think about Heike Drechsler’s German record (7.48) or even the world record of 7.52 meters?
Mihambo: 7.30 meters was very good, also in the context of the past two decades. But it’s still a world to the records. 20 centimeters is a lot in the long jump. My goal is to first establish myself in the higher 7 meter distances.
The project to get new input through training with track and field legend Carl Lewis in the USA is on the back burner for the time being?
Mihambo: That’s it. That would only be conceivable for a longer season build-up. You only have the time of one or two months in autumn – and the Corona situation was still too uncertain last year. Now I’m concentrating on the season, but you can see if it fits this fall.
You outlined Malaika Mihambo’s further sporting path – where should your personal path lead?
Mihambo: I work on that every day. I want to develop as a person, devote a lot to meditation and self-reflection, want to be able to fathom and get to know myself better. You can be more secure in life when you know who you are. In addition, I always want to learn new things. I do that through my studies or I’m doing a Spanish course right now. So there is always new input. But at the end of the day, it’s about connecting with people, being in touch with people – and just spending the time you have with friends and family.
Are you already thinking about the time after your career or is that still too far away?
Mihambo: Of course I’m already thinking about it. But the path I am now taking is leading me to my goal – even beyond my sporting career. Environmental and social issues are very important to me. If I can find a place where I can make a positive contribution, that would make me happy.
Personal details: Malaika Mihambo (28) is an Olympic champion, world champion and European champion in the long jump. The three-time “Sportswoman of the Year” in Germany is a very political person and speaks out on many topics outside of sport. With her association “Malaikas Herzsprung” she supports children.