Miltiadis Tentoglou has added the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship crown in Budapest to his remarkable collection. The Greek long-jump star claimed one of the few major titles missing from his resume.
For one of athletics’ most consistent competitors, the victory capped one of the finest seasons of his career.
Despite missing the Diamond League title in Brussels just a week earlier, Tentoglou bounced back immediately. He opened with an 8.16m jump before producing the winning mark of 8.35m in the second round.
Tentoglou Holds Off Saraboyukov
The competition went down to the wire, as it often does when Tentoglou takes to the runway.
European indoor champion Bozhidar Saraboyukov pushed him all the way. The Bulgarian produced an 8.34m final-round effort that briefly threatened to snatch the gold.
However, Saraboyukov had to settle for silver after falling just 1cm short of Tentoglou.
World indoor heptathlon champion Simon Ehammer finished third with 8.07m. Meanwhile, Brussels victor Tajay Gayle placed fifth with 7.90m.
Another Global Title for Tentoglou
The Budapest triumph adds another major honour to an already glittering resume.
Tentoglou now has two Olympic gold medals, a 2023 world title, two world indoor crowns, four European outdoor titles and three European indoor titles.
Yet his drive to jump farther remains as strong as ever.
“I always say that jumping far is more important to me than winning, but tonight I was happy to add another global title to my collection,” Tentoglou reflected. “I was hoping to jump farther tonight, but I’m happy that I still had my best season ever; I had so many jumps over 8.40m and 8.50m, and I improved my PB to 8.66m.”
With a historic season now complete, Tentoglou’s pursuit of bigger distances continues. For athletics’ ultimate competitor, there appears to be little sign of that hunger fading.