Thobias Montler Falls Short of Medal at 2025 World Championships Long Jump Final
Montler finishes seventh in the long jump final, missing a medal by a narrow margin under new rules.
- • Montler finishes seventh, missing final jump by two centimeters
- • Competition rules limit final jump to top six, adding pressure
- • Furlani wins gold with a personal best
- • Montler expresses frustration with his performance and luck
Key details
Thobias Montler's hopes for a medal at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo were dashed as he finished seventh in the men's long jump final, missing the chance for a final jump by just two centimeters. His best jump of 8.17 meters was not enough to surpass Chinese athlete Minkung Zhang, who secured a place in the final round with 8.19 meters. Montler's performance faced challenges right from the start; he recorded a foul on his initial jump before managing distances of 8.07 meters and 8.13 meters in his subsequent rounds.
The final competition saw Italy's Mattia Furlani clinch the gold medal with a personal best jump of 8.39 meters, followed by Jamaica's Tajay Gayle with silver and China's Yuhao Shi taking bronze. Montler, reflecting on his performance and the impact of new competition rules that allow only the top six jumpers to advance to the final jump, expressed frustration, stating, "I always have bad luck somehow." This rule change contributed to his disappointment, as he felt prepared but narrowly missed out on another opportunity to compete for a medal.
Montler's woeful run this year was compounded by memories of his near miss at the Tokyo Olympics, indicating a persistent struggle with the venue that has not favored him. Despite being one of the more experienced athletes in the field, Montler's journey in Tokyo illustrates the competitive nature of athletics, where every centimeter counts.