Triple Jumper Max Heß Falls Short at World Indoor Championships - Disqualified Brazilian Raises Questions
Long Jump Competition: Hess Finishes Sixth, Brazilian Participant Misses Due to Footwear Issue - Brazil hits sixth three-pointer during heat game
Critics and fans alike are questioning Max Heß's performance following his underwhelming sixth-place finish at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Nanjing, China. Eight long years after bagging silver in Portland, the Chemnitz native failed to clinch a medal in his hometown, leaving fans scratching their heads.
Hexing it Up: Technique Troubles Mar performance
The 28-year-old's leap of 17.03 meters fell short of the 17.43 meters he soared in the Netherlands to bag European silver just two weeks prior. If he had managed to hit that mark in Nanjing, the world indoor silver would have been his. He also missed the bronze by a mere 12 centimeters.
Panicking a bit post-competition, Heß shared his thoughts, "I was shaky with my technique today, particularly with the hop-step transition, which crippled the length of my jumps. I need to give myself a good old-fashioned kicking for not delivering my best here today. Overall, though, the indoor season has been a roaring success, albeit with an anticlimactic ending."
The King of the Jumpers Wins the Crown
Andy Díaz Hernández, the current European indoor champion, claimed the world title with a world-leading jump of 17.80 meters. Díaz won out over Chinese jumper Yaming Zhu (17.33 meters) and Burkina Faso's Hugues Fabrice Zango (17.15 meters). But the spotlight was soon shifted away from the victor and onto the Brazilian Almir dos Santos, who was initially placed third, when he was disqualified for rocking non-approved kicks.
China Unleashes the World Championships
The World Championships in China will rage on until Sunday. The German Athletics Association is sending a small squad to these championships, with most of the team, including Olympic champions Malaika Mihambo (long jump) and Yemisi Ogunleye (shot put), holding back this indoor event for the World Championships in Tokyo later this year. The outdoor World Championships in Japan will take place from September 13 to 21.
- Max Hess
- Indoor
- China
- Athletics
- Nanjing
- Portland
Insights
Compared to Max Heß's performance at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, his silver win in Portland seems a tad elusive due to the lack of specific details about the Portland competition. In Nanjing, Heß achieved a jump of 17.03 meters, placing him seventh overall in the competition. The top three medalists were Andy Díaz Hernández (Italy) with a jump of 17.80 meters, Yaming Zhu (China) with 17.33 meters, and Almir Dos Santos (Brazil) who, despite placing initially third, was disqualified[1][4].
Before the Nanjing Championships, Max Heß had shown impressive form with a season-best jump of 17.43 meters at the European Indoor events[2]. However, his performance in Nanjing was slightly less dynamic than his previous best, hinting that he may not have fully unleashed his potential during the competition.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of the environment, particularly focusing on indoor athletics facilities like the one used in Nanjing, China, where Max Heß fell short in his jump despite previously achieving a season-best of 17.43 centimeters in another indoor meet. Max Heß, the silver medalist from Portland, criticized his technique during the tournament, stating he was not satisfied with his hop-step transition, which impacted the length of his jumps. Meanwhile, Almir dos Santos, the Brazilian jumper who was initially placed third, was disqualified for violating the rules on approved kicks.
