There are athletes, whose achievements remain unmatched for a long time and become records in their native countries. President of Armenian Athletic Federation Robert Emmiyan is certainly on that list.
It was his legendary jump that Mediamax Sport told about in our In One Shot series.
Twice European champion, Emmiyan set a European record when he made an 8.86 meters long jump on May 22, 1987 in Tsaghkadzor.
Despite the Iron Curtain around USSR, the rest of the world learned about the record thanks to a TASS agency report.
Just 4 cm separated the 22-year-old Armenian athlete from repeating the world record Bob Beamon set in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico.
Only American athletes Michael Powell and Carl Lewis managed to made longer jumps than Emmiyan. His jump remains the longest in Europe and the 4th longest in the world.
“I was brimming with energy and it felt like I would jump over the sandpit altogether. My dream was to keep the record for at least 5 years, but it’s been unbeaten for 30 years already. I’m asked sometimes if I’d like the record to stay forever. No, I wouldn’t. I wish that one day Armenian athletes beat my record and set a new, better one. Nevertheless, whoever beats my record, I’ll be the first to congratulate them,” said Emmiyan.
Competition with 9 times Olympic, 8 times World champion Carl Lewis helped Emmiyan build a stronger performance: “I’m happy to have competed with an athlete of that level. Lewis was one of the top athletes in the 20th century. Our competition gave me a lot.”
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