With the Golden Tracks awards night in Batumi, Georgia, just days away on Saturday 25 October, we’re taking a closer look at the three finalists for the men’s European Athlete of the Year trophy.
Today, we put the spotlight on Italy’s Mattia Furlani. For so long, he has been the heir apparent in men’s long jump to Greece’s Miltiádis Tentóglou. 2025 was the year he finally got to wear the crown.
In 2023, Furlani collected the men’s Rising Star award at the Golden Tracks, and this is his first time as a finalist in the senior category.
2025 Highlights
- World long jump champion
- World indoor long jump champion
- European indoor silver medallist
- Runner-up in the Diamond League Final
- Improved personal best to 8.44m
A European U20 and U18 gold medallist, Furlani seamlessly transitioned to the senior ranks, winning Olympic bronze and European silver last year — both behind the Greek superstar.
His first major event of 2025 was the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, and with illness consigning Tentóglou to the sidelines, he started as the favourite.
But in an upset, Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Sarâboyukov edged him into silver-medal position by just 1cm with a leap of 8.13m on 7 March.
Undeterred, Furlani travelled to the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, and barely 16 days later, he landed his first global title with a brilliant 8.30m.
During the outdoor season, he was consistent if not quite spectacular — until he peaked when it mattered most. He logged 8.30m at the Diamond League Final to finish runner-up to Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.33m), setting himself up perfectly for Tokyo.
Despite Tentóglou’s travails, the men’s long jump proved to be one of the most keenly contested events of the World Athletics Championships, with three men beyond 8.30m by the third round and Furlani initially outside the medals.
But in the fifth round, his immense talent came to the fore as he soared to a gold medal–winning personal best of 8.39m — claiming his biggest title yet.
What he said…
On what the future holds..
“I don't know. We don't have limits. We're dreaming like we did today, we did this year, last year, and we’re working on going out of the pit.”
On the world long jump final in Tokyo...
“In that final, something magical really did happen. My first jumps were a struggle. But then came that one jump — the perfect one. That moment just… clicked. And without that kind of spark, honestly, I don’t think it would have been possible. That magic made everything even more unforgettable.”
On the feeling he gets from long jump...
“It’s an incredible feeling. The flight is my favourite part. People often ask me what I think about mid-air, during the jump. And the answer is actually very simple: nothing.
"You work so much on refining every movement, repeating the mechanics over and over in training, until the day arrives… and then it all happens on autopilot. You just let your body do what it knows. So, on one hand, the sensation is fantastic, but on the other, it’s also deeply automatic.”
Did you know?
- The multi-talented Furlani also won high jump gold at the Jerusalem 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships
- His elder sister, Erika Furlani, was an Italian international high jumper, finishing 9th at the 2017 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
- The Italian long jump record of 8.47m has stood for 18 years and belongs to 2006 European champion Andrew Howe
Last 10 Men’s European Athlete of the Year Winners
2024 – Armand Duplantis (SWE)
2023 – Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
2022 – Armand Duplantis (SWE) and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR)
2021 – Karsten Warholm (NOR)
2020 – Not held
2019 – Karsten Warholm (NOR)
2018 – Kevin Mayer (FRA)
2017 – Johannes Vetter (GER)
2016 – Mo Farah (GBR)
2015 – Greg Rutherford (GBR)
2014 – Renaud Lavillenie (FRA)