Mitrevski gives Australian athletics boost ahead of Paris

MELBOURNE: Australian athletics hailed the prospect of another Olympic medal contender after long jumper Chris Mitrevski smashed his personal best at national championships over the weekend.

The 27-year-old’s winning jump of 8.32m in Adelaide earned him a ticket to Paris and marked him as a solid chance for a spot on the Games podium. The jump would have earned bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, where Greek Miltiadis Tentoglou took gold on count-back after jumping 8.41m.

“I didn’t know what an 8.30 jump felt like because I’ve never done it before, but it felt better than anything I’ve ever done. I just had so much time in the air,” said Mitrevski, whose previous best was 8.21m.

“I had a pretty good nationals a few years ago where I scratched the surface and started to believe that I could push for a medal and not just be a number. “I hope this is a step toward consistency and jumping even further.”

Mitrevski was among the first 14 track and field athletes named on Australia’s Olympic team on Sunday. Australia took a women’s high jump silver and bronze medals in the women’s javelin and men’s decathlon at the Tokyo Olympics but the nation is aiming higher at Paris after last year’s successful world championships in Budapest.