Thobias Montler knew what was waiting when he saw the jump schedule. He would jump every tenth minute – at the same time as hurdle and obstacle races would start.
After the final in Tokyo, he was irritated.
The last competitions I have had such damn bad luck that I land with these damn hurdle races or obstacle races. They will present a dozen. I stand there and the adrenaline has time to drop, he says.
– In three, four jumps today, they present the others.
Does not get audience support
Why can't you jump during the presentations?
No idea.
Does it affect the performance?
We cannot get the audience started. They run for almost a minute and then my time has run out before I can get the applause going. Then you know it will be a jump without support, he says.
It becomes a mental thing.
It is an advantage that we technical disciplines have, we can ask for applause, we can get support from the stands. You want to take advantage of it.
One centimeter short
Thobias Montler started the final with a foul, followed up with 8.07 and 8.13 to then get a cross. With 8.17 in the fifth, he moved up to seventh place – but was one centimeter from getting to jump the last jump.
It's tough to have that centimeter on the wrong side. I want more, but at the same time, I must not be too hard on myself. A year ago, I was eliminated in the qualifying round in the Olympic Games and it's the same guys who were here in the World Championship.
I beat most of them. This is still a step in the right direction. In one way or another, I will get up on that podium.
The gold medal was taken by the Italian Mattia Furlani, who won with a new personal best – 8.39. Silver to Jamaica's Tajay Gayl and the Chinese Yuhao Shi took the bronze.
