Jazmin Sawyers determined to defy doubters and shine on Olympic stage

Jazmin Sawyers is already targeting a historic Olympic medal after winning the British indoor long jump title.

The 28-year-old wants to become the first British female athlete to reach the Olympic podium in the long jump since Sue Hearnshaw took bronze in 1984.

Sawyers claimed victory at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships with a distance of 6.73m in Birmingham on Sunday.

It follows her bronze at the European Championships in Munich last summer, ending a six-year wait for an international medal, having won European silver in 2016.

Sawyers has qualified for next month’s European Indoor Championships in Istanbul and has the World Championships in August on the horizon but is already eyeing Paris 2024.

She said: “The Olympics is every athlete’s ultimate goal. I see myself on an Olympic podium.

“I think a lot of people look at me and think she is someone who might scrape a medal at European level but is never going to be there at the worlds.

“But I am edging closer and closer towards the kind of distances that will get a medal at world level.

“My goal for this season is to be jumping seven metres and if you are jumping seven metres, you are looking at podiums on a global level. I am working on it, being this consistent indoors is a really good sign for me outdoors.

“Normally I am skirting around 6.30m this time of year. If I can improve the amount I have improved indoors to outdoors, we are talking crazy numbers.

“I don’t want to be going to championships anymore and not winning medals. I will be going there on the day wanting to win, but a medal is a minimum to me now for me to not walk away annoyed.”

Melissa Courtney-Bryant won the 3,000m and Scott Lincoln took the shot put title with a throw of 20.36m, while Ama Pipi beat Laviai Nielsen to the 400m title, with Guy Learmonth winning the 800m and Neil Gourley the 1500m.