What do you call a 26-year-old athlete who has won everything on offer, is the reigning Olympic and World champion and considered among the greatest ever in his event? An Indian might say Neeraj Chopra but if you shift the continent and sport to long jump, he will answer to Miltiadis Tentoglou.
The Greek jumper, like Chopra, kicks off his Olympic defence in Doha and is focussed more on easing into competition than jumping far. “The motivation to continue comes from my love for the game, I still want to grow and get better and jump more, push my limits. It’s very early for me, but I’m confident and I’m expecting something solid, Tentoglou told The Hindu.
There is a lot more in common between the Greek and Indian athletics icons, in fact, than just their ages or even achievements. Like Chopra, Tentoglou is among the handful of athletes back home at the top level and an inspiration to an entire generation. He is also someone who prefers to focus on pushing himself and his performances rather than eyeing any particular target. And, like the 90m club membership that Chopra wants but isn’t obsessed about, Tentoglou has set his sights on 8.75m as a dream distance.
