17th July 2013 02:29
Out of the medals and seemingly incapable of hitting her rhythm, Germany's Lena Malkus charged down the runway and sailed 20cm further than she had done all afternoon.
The result? 6.76m, a personal best, A-standard for the Moscow World championships and the gold medal.
Her delirium was understandable. But did she ever imagine she would win like this? 'I don't rightly understand it myself,' admitted the 19 year old.
It is not as though Malkus had won nothing before. Given her background she must always have been considered a possible winner.
In 2011 she secured European junior gold in Tallin and last year in Barcelona she added World junior silver. So there was pedigree there.
'It came of its own accord. I simply believed in myself. My coach, Elke Bartschaft and I, we had always said that it would be my day. The fact that it turned out that way I can scarcely comprehend,' explained Malkus.
Maybe it was Tampere that was responsible since it is Malkus's good luck stadium. It was there in 2009 that she won the European Youth Olympic Festival gold.
'I thought of that when I arrived in town on Wednesday for the first time since 2009. This positive memory gave me the push and confidence.'
Malkus is not particularly known for being consistent on the board, always committing fouls, but in Tampere she did not put a foot wrong. What was that due to?
'I haven't changed my run-up but just practised it like crazy. That really helped and you can see the result,' she told Leichtathletik.de.
But she was also competing with a torn ligament as could be seen from the bandage on her left ankle. Did that not bother her?
'No, I forced it out of my head. Even for my final jump, I managed to erase it from my mind. All I said to myself was, come on, Lena, give it everything one more time.'
Had she ever considered making the World championship qualifier before?
'At the beginning of the season, at any rate, but the distance would not come. So I just forced myself not to think about it and that helped me relax a lot.
'So I concentrated on other things. My run-up for example. Now I have to consider how to approach the Worlds. I have got my University psychology exams to think about. But I would not want to miss my first World championships!'