A step too far? Experimental long jump change makes its debut at ISTAF indoor meet
Mihambo jumped 6.87 meters on her fourth attempt in the absence of most of her international rivals, adding to the German's wins at meets in Dortmund and Karlsruhe this year.
It was her first win using a new-look take-off zone rather than the take-off board that has been the norm in this event. Sunday marked the first time the rule was tested on a larger stage, with its proponents saying it will cut down on the number of fouls.
'The momentum is much better, as if you're jumping with just half a foot from the board,' Mihambo said of the new take-off area.
Sweet spot
The take-off zone is 40 centimeters long, compared to the take-off board's 20, and every jump from the zone is measured from the athlete's take-off point with the aid of cameras, as opposed to the traditional method of measuring jumps from the end of the board. The change eliminates some of the art and science of hitting the sweet spot on the board at top speed for a far leap.
Distances were also measured according to the traditional method from the end of the board for the official world rankings. Dutch athlete Pauline Hondema jumped furthest using the traditional measurement with a jump of 6.65, ahead of Poland's Anna Matuszewicz (6.40). Mihambo was third with her only valid jump under the previous system of 6.39.
Like Mihambo, her coach, Uli Knapp, was also in favor of the new rule.
'It was very exciting for the spectators because there were far fewer invalid jumps,' Knapp said. 'It makes the competition more entertaining. I'm open for changes, just like Malaika.'
Many long jumpers are unhappy about the proposed change.
___
AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
The Associated Press

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


San Francisco Chronicle
16 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Wheelchair tennis returns to US Open after break for Paralympics
FLUSHING, N.Y. (AP) — Wheelchair tennis is back at the U.S. Open after taking a break last year for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. The U.S. Tennis Association announced Friday the entry lists for the upcoming U.S. Open Wheelchair Championships starting Sept. 2 through Sept. 6 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. This tournament also will mark the 20th anniversary of wheelchair tennis at the U.S. Open. These championships have grown tremendously over the years first with the addition of a quad division in 2007, followed by the U.S. Open becoming the first of the four majors to have a junior wheelchair division in 2022 with singles and doubles for both boys and girls. The U.S. has six players in the field, and the Netherlands has the most with nine. Alfie Hewett of Great Britain will be competing for his third straight men's U.S. Open title in a field featuring Wimbledon champ Tokito Oda — the world's No. 1 player who will be looking for his career Golden Slam featuring the four Grand slams and the Paralympic Games. Diede de Groot from the Netherlands can become the winningest women's champ by winning her seventh straight singles title. She currently is tied with Esther Alf Vergeer who retired in 2013.


Fox Sports
16 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
MLS suspends Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba for skipping All-Star Game
Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba were suspended one match by Major League Soccer for skipping its All-Star Game, the league announced Friday. Messi and Alba did not suit up for the match between the MLS and Liga MX of Mexico despite being voted to the game. Messi did not play to rest amid a packed schedule and Alba was dealing with a previous injury. Per MLS rules, any player who doesn't participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in their club's next match. The players will miss Miami's home match Saturday against FC Cincinnati, which sits atop the Eastern Conference standings. As Inter Miami awaited the league's decision, both Messi and Alba practiced with the club on Friday in anticipation of playing in Saturday's match. 'I know Lionel Messi loves this league,' said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. "I don't think there's a player — or anyone — who has done more for Major League Soccer than Messi. I fully understand, respect, and admire his commitment to Inter Miami, and I respect his decision. 'Unfortunately, we have a long-standing policy regarding participation in the All-Star Game, and we had to enforce it. It was a very difficult decision.' Garber added that the league will re-evaluate the policy and work with players to "determine how the rule should evolve.' ___ AP soccer: recommended Item 1 of 1 in this topic


Forbes
18 minutes ago
- Forbes
Grand Slam Track In Trouble As Founder Michael Johnson Admits League Has 'Major Cash Flow' Issues
PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES JUNE 1: American former Olympic champion sprinter Michael Johnson, the ... More founder and CEO of Grand Slam Track Series is seen during Day Two of the Philadelphia event at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on June 1, 2025. (Photo by STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images) On Thursday, a little over a month since Grand Slam Track announced an end to its debut season – citing a change in the 'global economic landscape" – league founder Michael Johnson appeared live on Front Office Sports Today and admitted there was more to the story. Our own reporting found on July 14 that the league owed over $77,896 for a facility rental of the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida following its second event, Grand Slam Track Miami, and owed an additional $14,928.50 for ticket surcharge fees. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Reports also indicate that Grand Slam Track has only paid a margin of its athlete appearance fees and owes almost all of its prize money won by athletes over three meets in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia. In total, reports suggest that total is over $13 million. Early this week, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said the sport's governing body is monitoring athlete payments from the league. 'It's not a good look,' Coe said. 'The one thing World Athletics has always stood behind is the athletes. So yeah, this is not a good situation. It's a startup, but the athletes do need paying.' Behind The Reported Problems Of Grand Slam Track When Grand Slam Track first unveiled its vision for a reimagined track league in June of 2024, it announced '$30 million in financial commitments from investors and strategic partners,' including from the likes of Winner's Alliance, a commercial sports licensing firm. But on Thursday, Johnson said a major investor pulled out of that agreement, reneging on an eight-figure term sheet, according to Front Office Sports. He did not name the investor. 'We've had a very difficult situation financially,' Johnson said. 'We had an investor who wasn't able to honor their complete commitment to the league. We started with the capital that we needed to get through the season as we planned it with four slams. And to make sure we can take care of everyone.' Fast spending likely contributed to the league's situation. Johnson revealed that Grand Slam Track included luxuries that most track and field events rarely offered for athletes – airfare, single-occupancy rooms at hotels and plenty of days to acclimate to meet surroundings. 'We committed to treating them that way,' Johnson said. But Johnson admitted fault in planning for the series itself, too. Scheduling four meets exactly one month apart from one another – in April, May, June and July -- placed the league in a situation which did not give it enough time to breathe. Athletes committed to that schedule, and Johnson said the league felt like it had to honor that scheduling commitment. A few weeks before the Philadelphia meet, Johnson announced he was cutting the event to two days and scrapped a long distance event entirely – the men's and women's 5,000 meters. According to Front Office Sports, investor Robert Smith, a board member and the chairperson of Vista Equity Partners, stepped in to make sure the event could even take place. 'We probably went too fast,' Johnson said of the league's planning. Soon after the Philadelphia meet, Grand Slam Track canceled its fourth and final event, which was set to take place at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. The league then let go several high-ranking officials. Grand Slam Track has since stepped back from its social media presence. The league hasn't posted on Instagram since July 11, on X since July 4 and on Tik Tok since July 13. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MAY 31: Grand Slam Track during Grand Slam Track at Franklin Field at ... More the University of Pennsylvania on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Roger Wimmer/) What Is The Future Of Grand Slam Track Despite the league's mounting problems, Johnson still applauded the league's output in Philadelphia, saying it attracted 26,000 fans over two days at Franklin Field. Grand Slam Track's social media accounts have attracted a cumulative millions of impressions, while linear broadcast numbers have been OK, with ratings reaching an average of 243,000 households during its Kingston event. Forbes reached out to facility management at the University of Pennsylvania to inquire about any pending fees owed during the league's Philadelphia meet. Multiple officials declined to comment. Johnson continued to echo the thought that the league will go on, but questions remain on how after the founder admitted his startup has 'major cash flow issues.' When asked whether Johnson's startup made any mistakes in Year 1, he admitted fault. 'Absolutely, we made some mistakes this year. We knew we would. But one of the things that, in hindsight when we look back, we're in a very, very difficult economic situation right now, that is pretty unprecedented, and has effected a lot of folks, a lot of businesses, affected one of our investors and has affected us as well, so we will be much more cautious going forward.' Front Office Sport reported that Pitchbook lists a total of $39.5 of investments from two firms, though when asked where the money went, Johnson said much of the first year went to expenses. Johnson said he's working with existing investors and the league's board to sort through outstanding debts. Fundraising efforts also continue. 'We've been working very hard over the last couple of months to make sure we can get everyone taken care of and making sure we actually can get to next season and continue on the mission to elevate this sport,' Johnson said. He added: 'It's what I do every day. It's what I wake up every morning thinking about.' When asked whether the league will go forward into Year 2, Johnson gave kudos to the successes of the first season, but did not give a concrete answer as to what's ahead.