ZAGREB, Croatia (Sept. 9) — USA’s USA long jumper Tiffany Flynn and Filip Pravdica of Croatia won the women’s and men’s long jump titles on the streets at the national square during the 73rd Boris Hanžeković Memorial 2023 –a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event, held on Friday 8, September. The three-day meeting concludes on Sunday (10).
Tiffany Flynn, fresh off her victory at the ISTAF 2023 meeting and a finalist at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, won the women’s competition, leaping 6.59 meters (+1.6) in the fourth round, while Filip Pravdica secured the victory in the men’s event with a jump of 8.09 meters (-0.1) in the fourth.
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Tiffany Flynn Impressive Series
After opening the contest with a jump of 6.35m in the first round, Flynn increased her advantage at the top with a mark of 6.57m in round two.
The American then wrapped up the competition in round four when she cut the sand a couple of centimeters further than her second-round jump.
“My jumping was good today,” said Flynn. “Obviously, I wanted to go further, but I am not upset about how I did today.
“The runway was really good, so I thought I would have been able to jump further. But the competition was great, the crowds were awesome, just a great experience.”
Jazmin Sawyers of Great Britain, the European Indoor champion of 2023, and Milica Gardašević of Serbia, the 2017 European Junior champion, finished second and third, respectively.
Sawyers, who also finished eighth at the Olympics and was a finalist at the Budapest World Championships 2023, secured second place with a mark of 6.50m, while Gardašević followed in third place, marking a distance of 6.33m.
Pravdica Takes Men’s Long Jump
In the men’s long jump, meanwhile, Filip Pravdica of Croatia won with a jump of 8.09 meters, closely followed by 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle of Jamaica, who ended with a mark of 8.07m.
Will Williams of the USA took the third spot with a jump of 7.99m.
Pravdica entered the final round trailing Gayle in the event after the Jamaican registered his best mark in the penultimate round.
However, the Croatian took the lead in the final round of the contest to seal the win.
“I could not be more happier than I am,” Pravdica said. “The win here, at home at the national square, is the most beautiful thing in the world.”
Runner-up Tajay Gayle added: “I have not been really able to train properly since Worlds, so I am just back and forth between meets.”
Boris Hanžeković Memorial 2023 Long Jump Results
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP – 1. Tiffany Flynn (USA), 6.59; 2. Jazmin Sawyers (GBR), 6.50; 3. Milica Gardašević (SRB), 6.33; 4. Daniela Gubler (SUI), 6.31; 5. Neja Filipić (SLO), 6.29; 6. Diana Lesti (HUN), 6.22; 7. Daniela Jelić (CRO), 5.79.
MEN’S LONG JUMP – 1. Filip Pravdica (CRO), 8.09; 2. Tajay Gayle (JAM), 8.07; 3. William Williams (USA), 7.99; 4. Marko Čeko (CRO), 7.96; 5. Andreas Trajkovski (MKD), 7.84; 6. Liam Adcock (AUS), 7.65; 7. Erwan Konate (FRA), 7.53.
