Naomi Metzger reckons a medal is within her grasp after leaping into the European triple jump final in a boiling Munich.
The Manchester athlete required just one jump in qualification and landed at 14.24m, enough to see her through to the final on a red-hot morning at the Olympic Stadium.
Metzger, 24, did not jump the qualifying standard of 14.40 but felt confident enough that her first attempt would be enough to get her to the final, choosing to pass the rest of her efforts.
And she said: “It was quite an easy morning and a very hot one as well.
“It was very different to Birmingham, but it was a little bit more chilly.
“But it's an amazing stadium. And I'm so happy that I only had to do one jump today.”
Metzger qualified fifth in a qualification round that saw only two athletes jumping over the standard.
Patricia Mamona, the Olympic silver medallist from Portugal, and home favourite Neele Eckhardt-Noack - who jumped a personal best of 14.53m - advanced into the final.
Metzger added: “I'm going into the final round as fifth, so I only have to beat two people to get a medal.
“I definitely have confidence going into the final. The Commonwealth Games definitely gave me a whole boost of confidence.
“So I think I'm ready for the final and very excited for it.”
Metzger will be looking to continue a stellar season so far in which she has improved her personal best twice, which is now standing at 14.37, a mark that also gave her the bronze medal in the recent Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
She said: “I celebrated for a day and then went straight back to training because I knew I had Munich to focus on.
“But of course, I enjoyed it. But it was time to be focused again.”
However, the Birmingham-based athlete also has a huge motivation coming from the stands, as she is joined for the first time in a major championship by her husband Kevin Metzger, who has been selected as a member of the 4x400m relay team.
“It's amazing having him here. It just makes me feel like I'm back at home in Birmingham,” she added.
“Unfortunately, Kevin wasn't there at the Commonwealths, so hopefully, him being there will be an extra boost for this one.
“It will be nice to have somebody to smile at in the crowd.”
The multi-sport European Championships Munich 2022, featuring Athletics, Beach Volleyball, Canoe Sprint, Cycling, Gymnastics, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Rowing, Sport Climbing, takes place 11th-21st August on the 50th anniversary of the Olympics Games in the German city. Watch daily live coverage across BBC One, Two, Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
