19-year-old Mattia Furlani has surpassed the Italian indoor long jump record, which has stood for 17 years. The previous record was held by Andrew Howe, who set it while winning the gold medal at the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham in 2007. However, during the Ancona Championships, on his fourth attempt, Furlani made a record-breaking jump of 8.34 meters, thereby erasing Howe’s long-standing record.
This achievement by Furlani is unparalleled in the under-20 category, as no athlete in this age group has ever reached such a measurement indoors. His record is just a centimeter short of the U20 outdoor world record of 8.35 meters, which is held by Russian athlete Sergey Morgunov. Furlani, who is a part of the Fiamme Oro team, has currently given the best performance worldwide in 2024. His record is on par with the 8.34 meters jumped by Jamaican athlete Wayne Pinnock, just a fortnight before the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.
Furlani’s exceptional performance was the result of a series of impressive jumps: 8.31, 8.24, 8.03, and finally 8.34 meters, before he decided to waive his last jump due to the risk of nullifying his previous record. Speaking about his achievement, Furlani said, “It was an incredible day, one that I will always remember. I am grateful to everyone who has supported me in this journey. We are just at the start of the year and it is important for us to stay focused and not risk losing what we have achieved today like what could have happened on my last jump.” His next goal is the World Cup in Glasgow, where he hopes to replicate his success. He believes that with the right preparation and focus, he can perform at his best in the competition.
