Simon Ehammer is competing at Athletissima as a long jumper and wants to settle a score. Neither in Lausanne nor at Weltklasse Zürich has he ever managed to jump 8 meters in the Diamond League.
20.08.2025, 07:00
20.08.2025, 07:21
SDA
"This time the starting position is different. I'm competing before and not after the major event," says the Appenzell native when asked about the blemish on his palmarès. In previous years, the top Swiss meetings were always scheduled after the major event. "The excitement was a bit gone then, the final consistency was probably missing. But now I want to get a good feeling with a view to the World Championships in Tokyo."
In any case, the all-around athlete could well be aiming for a top position in the Athletissima field. The world's best are represented almost without interruption and have season's best performances between 8.20 and 8.46 m. Most of the nine competitors are the same as the finalists from Tokyo in mid-September. Right in the middle is Ehammer with 8.34 m. Jumps over the 8 m mark are likely to be seen en masse on the Pontaise on Wednesday evening, weather permitting.
Summer with few competitions
Ehammer is very satisfied with how the season has gone so far. After strong performances in the hall and the Swiss record in the decathlon on June 1 in Götzis, he only competed in three competitions. "Now I'm hungry," emphasizes the 25-year-old. Lausanne, four events at the SM in Frauenfeld, Weltklasse Zürich and a double start in Japan with long jump and decathlon are on the agenda. "Now is a cool time."
Ehammer has a second opportunity to make up for lost time in the upcoming competition block. At the Athletissima media conference, he sat next to Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchich, who has held the world record in the high jump at 2.10 m since 2024. The smug question as to whether he was not ashamed of his personal best of 2.08 m was obvious. "It doesn't bother me too much," he replies diplomatically. It's nice to see how specialists can push a discipline to its limits.
However, when asked, the model athlete admits that he is not satisfied with his house record: "With my physique, I would have the chance to jump higher than the women's world record. The fact that I haven't managed that yet really bugs me."
Four goals in four weeks
In recent years, Ehammer has always started the summer season as a decathlete, but then had to make a decision that always went in favor of the long jump - and was rewarded with World Championship bronze in Eugene 2022. 2025 will be different. The schedule for the title fights in Japan allows him to compete in both disciplines. This starting position offers him many goals: jump 8 m on Swiss soil, beat the women's world record in the high jump, successfully take revenge for Paris as Olympic fourth in the long jump in Tokyo and finally improve the Swiss decathlon record (8575) in Japan.
