BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Juan Miguel Echevarria (C) of Cuba celebrates winning the Long Jump Mens Final with Luvo Manyonga (L) and Marquis Dendy (R) of United States during the IAAF World Indoor Championships on Day Two at Arena Birmingham on March 2, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images for IAAF)

Home » Silver for South Africa’s ‘Sand Angel’ Luvo Manyonga at His First World Indoors

Silver for South Africa’s ‘Sand Angel’ Luvo Manyonga at His First World Indoors

South Africa’s favourite ‘sand angel’ Luvo Manyonga added yet another medal to his growing collection with silver in the long jump at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England on Friday night. Manyonga – crowned outdoor world champion in England (London) last year, where even the BBC tweeted pics of him celebrating sand-angel style […]

By SAPeople
03-03-18 13:42
in Fab South African Stuff
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - MARCH 02: Juan Miguel Echevarria (C) of Cuba celebrates winning the Long Jump Mens Final with Luvo Manyonga (L) and Marquis Dendy (R) of United States during the IAAF World Indoor Championships on Day Two at Arena Birmingham on March 2, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images for IAAF)

South Africa’s favourite ‘sand angel’ Luvo Manyonga added yet another medal to his growing collection with silver in the long jump at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England on Friday night.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Juan Miguel Echevarria (C) of Cuba celebrates winning the Long Jump Mens Final with Luvo Manyonga (L) and Marquis Dendy (R) of United States during the IAAF World Indoor Championships on Day Two at Arena Birmingham on March 2, 2018 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images for IAAF)

Manyonga – crowned outdoor world champion in England (London) last year, where even the BBC tweeted pics of him celebrating sand-angel style after his 8.48m winning jump – had a best of 8.44 metres last night.

But that was two centimetres shy of victory as Cuban teenager Juan Miguel Echevarria became the youngest world indoor gold medallist in the history of the championships, at just 19 years of age.

Manyonga started in an out-of-sorts fashion after fouling in his opening two jumps but sprang into action with an 8.33m effort which put him into the lead.

But Echevarria responded immediately with an 8.36 to regain the lead.

Manyonga was now up for the fight and his next effort of 8.44 was yet another new Africa indoor record, his third in recent weeks.

The Cuban upstart then unleashed his 8.46 leap which would prove to be the winning jump of the night.

Manyonga fouled his final two attempts but was still upbeat considering his inexperience at this type of competition.

‘This is my first ever world indoors and only my third ever indoor event, so it means a lot to get a medal,’ the South African told the IAAF website.

South Africa’s other two competitors in the long jump pit were Ruswahl Samaai and veteran Khotso Mokoena who ended sixth and 14th respectively in the 15-strong field with efforts of 8.05 and 7.53, both being season’s bests.

Source: TeamSA.co.za

Sand-Angel Manyonga last year: