By Mitch Phillips
BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece won long jump gold at the World Championships on Thursday as his final leap of 8.52 metres edged him ahead of long-time leader Wayne Pinnock of Jamaica.
Last year’s silver medallist Tentoglou got the event off to a flier as he produced a huge season’s best 8.50 with his opening jump, only for Pinnock to match it in the second round.
That put Pinnock, who flew to a world-leading 8.54 metres on his opening jump in Wednesday’s qualifying and a personal best by 17cm, in the lead on the back of having the best second jump by one centimetre.
In the final round, though, Tentoglou hit the board perfectly to soar ahead and Pinnock was unable to improve on his final attempt.
Jamaican Tajay Gayle snatched bronze with his final leap of 8.27, matching compatriot Carey McLeod but edging him on countback.
McLeod was lucky to escape injury after slipping on takeoff on his third jump, spiralling spectacularly into the air and landing face-first into the pit.
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Ed Osmond)
