Making a big statement in the build-up to next month’s IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, South African Long jumper Luvo Manyonga made history by delivering a National Record (NR) performance at the Meeting Paris Indoor on Wednesday evening.
The world outdoor champion who was competing in the first indoor meeting of his career, landed at 8.32m with his penultimate attempt of the night to secure a comfortable victory ahead of Greek athlete Miltiadis Tentoglou who was a distant 2nd with a 7.89m jump.
Manyonga bettered the previous South African record of 8.18m, which had been set by former Olympic Silver medallist Khotso Mokoena in Paris in February 2007, and equalled by World Championships Bronze medallist Ruswahl Samaai in Portland in March 2016.
The Rio 2016 Silver medallist’s new mark takes him to 2nd position on the African indoor all-time list, just behind Ignisious Gaisah’s African Indoor Record of 8.36m set in 2006. As such, Manyonga now holds the South African indoor and outdoor records, and the continental (outdoor) record of 8.65m achieved last season.
“Well done to Luvo Manyonga and his coaching staff on setting the second South African indoor record which had stood unbroken since 2007. After giving us an indication of his tremendous potential last year, it is clear he is gearing up for another spectacular season and we look forward to watching his progress ahead of the Commonwealth Games in April”, said Athletics South Africa President, Aleck Skhosana.
