Ultimate preview: men's long jump

World lead: 8.66m Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) Volos, 26 Jul2026 world list | world rankings

World record: 8.95m Mike Powell (USA) Tokyo, 30 Aug 1991world all-time list | world record progression

When Miltiadis Tentoglou soared 8.66m at the Greek Championships in July, the 28-year-old achieved the farthest leap in the world in almost seven years. The last athlete to have jumped beyond that mark was Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle with 8.69m in 2019 and – fresh off their battle in the Diamond League Final – Tentoglou and Gayle clash again at the Ultimate Championship.

The competition takes Tentoglou back to the scene of his 2023 world title win – an honour that forms part of his highly decorated CV along with two Olympic gold medals and his two world indoor crowns.

Gayle, meanwhile, is a three-time world medallist and two-time Diamond League champion who added his victory over Tentoglou in Brussels last weekend to his 2024 triumph.

But Tentoglou will be looking to rebound in Budapest. He has jumped 8.40m or farther in eight competitions this year and feels there is more to come. “In my mind I have already jumped farther, but you haven’t seen it yet,” he said after his 8.66m in Volos. “I believe the big jump can happen this year.”

And Gayle relishes the competition. “Without an Olympics or World Championships there was no need to rush preparation this year and we worked patiently towards the Diamond League Final and the Ultimate Championship,” he said in Brussels. “This was a super strong field full of hard-working guys, which makes the win feel very well earned.”

They will not be short of strong competition in Budapest, either.

Simon Ehammer was third in Brussels and will be looking to recapture the sort of form that saw him set a Swiss record of 8.51m during the decathlon in Götzis in May.

The 2022 world long jump bronze medallist finished runner-up to Tentoglou at the European Championships last month and the top five in that competition will all renew their rivalry as world indoor bronze medallist Bozhidar Sarâboyukov, world indoor champion Gerson Baldé and Luka Bošković also compete.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics

Title key: 🏅 Olympic champion, 🌍 world champion, 💎 Diamond League champion