Serbian long jump star is keen to end her career with victory in Paris in 12 months’ time
After claiming her first outdoor world long jump title in Budapest, Ivana Vuleta is on “on a mission” to win an elusive Olympic gold in Paris next year.
The 33-year-old from Serbia leapt out to a world-leading mark of 7.14m (+1.2) on Sunday (Aug 20) as Tara Davis-Woodhall of the United States took silver with 6.91m and Alina Rotaru-Kottman of Romania earned bronze with 6.88m.
Vuleta was the only athlete to break the seven-metre barrier and in addition to her fifth-round 7.14m she leapt 7.05m (0.8) in the second round.
Prior to this weekend, Vuleta had won two world indoor titles, two European crowns and global bronze medals in Moscow 2013, Beijing 2015 and Rio 2016.
So this was her first outdoor world gold medal and she said: “It has been a long, long, long ride. Every medal, every final is really special but at this age it is really hard to keep everything together. I am glad that I have used all experience I have, it was my greatest ally.
“I knew I was ready and I will deliver in the right moment. Finally, I did something I was dreaming of for so long. I am so emotional, this medal is really heavy. I enjoyed every single moment in this competition.”
Vuleta has overcome an Achilles rupture in recent years and added: “I came to Budapest by car, it is such an advantage. I prefer indoor competitions because there is more intimacy but after so many years and so many medals, I just knew I had to have one gold from an outdoor championships.
“The only gold missing is the one from the Olympic Games. With it, I will finish my mission in athletics.”
Ivana Vuleta (Getty)
Runner-up Davis-Woodhall was thrilled to make the podium and said: “I can’t even find the words, I’m so excited. My brain is in a fog, I can’t believe this medal is around my neck. I’ve been through hell and back this season and I’m so happy to finish with this. It’s crazy to think I will go into the Olympic year as a world silver medallist.”
The competition however was missing reigning world and Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany and Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers, the European indoor champion, did not make it through the qualifying stage after struggling with hamstring and quad injuries.
“It’s a hard one to swallow that I couldn’t do it because standing there I really believed that I would.”
An honest Jaz Sawyers after she failed to reach the world long…
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