Jazmin Sawyers salvages season with European bronze

By Will Jennings in Munich

Jazmin Sawyers says her bold European bronze medal salvaged her season after a memorable night in Munich.

The Stoke long jumper delivered a brilliant leap of 6.80m on her final jump to propel herself onto the podium behind Serb Ivana Vuleta and home German favourite Malaika Mihambo.

Sawyers has endured a frustrating season after finishing ninth at the World Championships in Oregon before narrowly missing out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games.

But she banished those demons at the multi-sport championships in Bavaria by holding her nerve in the last chance saloon and winning her claiming her first major gong since her European silver in Amsterdam back in 2016.

Sawyers said: “I've finally got a medal again - I'm so happy.

“My goal for the summer was to get a medal at every championships and I was starting to think 'have you failed at your entire goal'.’

“I knew I was good enough to get a medal today.

“All the way through the competition I kept getting it wrong, not jumping right, fouling, but I knew I had it in me.

“I was standing at the top of the runway on that final jump thinking 'you cannot leave here without a medal.’

“It feels like it's been a tough year but this, I know it's a bronze, but it feels so good.”

Sawyers’ exploits came at the end of a late night thriller in Munich after the athletics’ evening session had been postponed due to rain, thunder and lightning.

Her first three jumps stood at 6.69m, 6.52m and 6.37m to leave her hopes of a podium finish hanging in the balance.

Sawyers fouled on her penultimate two jumps before producing a brilliant, breathtaking leap of 6.80m to catapult herself into contention and bank bronze.

The Staffordshire star suffered heartbreak at the previous European Championships in Berlin and revelled in turning the tables.

“The 6.80m came up, I lost my mind and then I think ‘this is what happened last time,’” she added.

“Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk was next to jump.

“Back in Berlin four years ago, the exact same thing happened and she moved up into silver and knocked me into fourth.

“I'm stood there going 'what's she going to do?'

“But I held onto it and I'm so happy.”

The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city. Watch daily live coverage across BBC One, Two, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website