Cheering, shock, relief: the four-time Paralympic winner Markus Rehm has probably never experienced such a roller coaster ride of emotions in his sport. The chronology in a nutshell: The 34-year-old wins long jump gold for the sixth time in a row at the Para World Championships for track and field athletes in Paris on Friday evening with a jump of 8.49 meters. Then the United States lodges a protest. The prosthetic jumper from Leverkusen is said to have used illegal spikes. Finally redemption on Saturday: The USA withdraws the protest, Rehm is allowed to keep the gold.
It was not only a short night for Rehm, a 15-strong team spent hours researching how the protest could be used and whether it was justified at all. “It was amazing what the team did. That welded us together,” said Rehm. Rehm was personally disappointed by his American competitors, who had initiated the protest. “I find it sad to receive a protest from a nation that has been helped so much,” he said, “I analyzed for them at the training camp and did so much.”
“It wasn’t custom made”
Regarding the accusation, he said: “It can’t really be explained, the spikes are all technically the same. This was not a special order. We have to clarify that for the future.” This is also important for his coach Steffi Nerius: “It’s good that we are better prepared in this matter with a view to next year. Markus is the last person who wants to gain an advantage with anything.”
But it wasn’t just the long wait for gold that kept Rehm busy. His foot causes problems and questions the further course of the season. A visit to the doctor in the coming week should clarify what is still possible.
23 centimeters missing for the world record
The evening before, the joy was still great, once again the Leverkusen player had demonstrated his supremacy in the pit. His width of 8.49 meters was a world championship record, and he was 23 centimeters short of the world record of 8.72 meters set in June. It is precisely this distance that he is still missing from his dream goal, Mike Powell’s long jump world record of 8.95 meters.
“The record was the goal, I broke it. That was a nice foretaste of Paris 2024,” said Rehm. He wants to win Paralympic gold for the fourth time in a row. Who should stop him? On Friday, second-placed American Derek Loccident (USA/7.39 ) 1.10 m back.
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Rehm has been unbeaten at major events since 2011. There are currently no signs that Rehm’s dominance will end anytime soon. In old age he delivered the best and most consistent season of his life. “We always have the aspiration that maybe more is possible,” emphasized Rehm. “He still has potential. Even the nine meters are now possible,” believes Steffi Nerius.