Miltiadis Tentoglou, the reigning Olympic lengthy soar champion, has slammed proposals to revolutionise his occasion as “dog s—” and promised to give up if they’re carried out.
The 25-year-old Greek added the world indoor title in Glasgow on Saturday to the outside crown he gained in Budapest final 12 months however plans to change to the triple soar if a trial that may substitute the normal take-off board with a take-off zone was ever formally launched.
“It’s dog s—,” stated Tentoglou. “If the (proposed) rules are applied, I will stop doing long jump. Long jump right now is a very difficult event because you need to have accuracy, to be able to run like a sprinter and hit the board perfectly. This is the hard part about long jump.
“The jump itself is very easy. It would remove all the skill. I think nobody likes it – (among the) the long jumpers – (except) maybe some guys who do a lot of fouls. It’s so bad, it’s funny. Thank god that the triple jump exists because that is what I am doing after this happens.”
World Athletics have stated that they have to “future proof” the game to make it extra interesting to younger generations and have pressured that this is just one of numerous potential concepts after analysis discovered {that a} third of all lengthy jumps ultimately 12 months’s World Championships had been fouls.
Sebastian Coe, the World Athletics president, stays adamant that wider change is crucial and Michael Johnson, the previous Olympic 200 metres and 400 metres champion, has this week introduced a partnership with the corporate Winners Alliance to create a brand new observe league.
“Our sport is 150 years old – there are elements that are sacrosanct,” stated Coe. “There is stuff there that leaves people a little cold. This isn’t anti-field events – we are trying to make sure both elements move forward at the same pace. I’m not saying it’s the only remedy (but) we are not going to back off innovation.
“The hold grail of every sport is to remain salient, interesting and exciting to young people. We have to recognise that the way people consume sport, the way they consume entertainment, is different than even three years ago.”
Tentoglou says that his view, because the excellent lengthy jumper of this present era, has not been sought. “I’m the Olympic champion, the world champion, and my opinion does not even matter,” he stated. “We would like some more respect.”
Asked if he would communicate to the governing physique if he was invited, Tentoglou stated: “Yes, but I would be very brutal to them.”
The World Indoor Athletics Championship will conclude on Sunday when Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell have wonderful probabilities respectively within the 800m and 1500m following transformative years.
Reekie, who break up from her long-time coach Andy Young final March and is now working with Sally Gunnell and her husband Jon Bigg, certified quickest and is aiming for a primary world medal after ending fourth and fifth on the Olympics and outside World Championships respectively.
“This time last year I was terrified – I was broken,” stated Reekie. “I had actually written down everything that I was struggling with. And one of them was I was never going to be as good as I was.
“I think I needed to make that change and I needed someone to believe in me and have that faith in me. When I went to Jon Bigg, he said, ‘You know what, I don’t care how you run this summer, I just want you to be back on the line having fun’. I think I was just frazzled mentally and, after having glandular fever, I’d never let myself recover.
“But not one day did I wake up and think, ‘I can’t do it anymore’. I trusted that the love of my sport would come back.”
Reekie has focussed extra on pace this winter in her try to succeed in the extent of Athing Mu, Keely Hodgkinson and Mary Moraa, who’ve dominated recent main championships however will not be in Glasgow this weekend.
“I think if I medal and hopefully win it (this weekend), it would just make up for all those times I’ve just missed out,” she stated. “And I think it would really help me towards the summer because I really want one of those Olympic medals as well.”
Bell, who works full-time in cyber safety, solely made a comeback to critical athletics following a speedy 16min 30sec Parkrun final 12 months.
