Germany's Malaika Mihambo backed up her 2019 world championship in the women's long jump with a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, denying American Brittney Reese a second Olympic gold with a clutch final-round jump.
Mihambo leapt 7.00 meters (22 feet 11.59 inches) in her sixth and final attempt, taking the top mark and ensuring the contest would not result in the first gold medal-winning distance under seven meters in 21 years.
Mihambo was third behind Reese and Nigeria's Ese Brume going into the sixth round, with Reese and Brume tied with the top mark at 6.97m (22 ft 10.40 in). Both athletes had one opportunity each to respond to Mihambo's mark, but neither could produce an improvement on their previous best jumps.
Reese was awarded the silver medal over Brume due to having the longer second-best mark, the tiebreaker in both long jump and triple jump events. The 34-year-old secured her third Olympic medal at her fourth — and she says final — Games after winning gold at London 2012 and silver at Rio 2016.
American NCAA champion at the University of Texas, Tara Davis, finished sixth at her debut Olympics with a top mark of 6.84m (22 ft 5.29 in).
Mihambo is Germany's third gold medalist in the women's long jump. Her winning mark was nearly a full foot off the 7.30m jump that won the event at 2019 Worlds.
