Belgian Triple Jumpers Compete in European Championship Final

Belgian athletes Ilona Masson and Saliyya Guisse are participating in the European Championship triple jump final in Birmingham. Masson is scheduled to be the first of twelve finalists to compete, with Guisse also among the contenders.

Guisse secured her place in the final by finishing tenth in the qualifications with a personal record of 14.07 meters. Masson advanced with a throw of 14.35 meters, which was the third-best jump of her career and exceeded the automatic qualification standard of 14.15 meters. This performance also set a new francophone record and placed her eighth in the world rankings, just three centimeters shy of the Belgian national record.

Masson's coach, Michel Boels, noted her consistent performances above 14 meters throughout the summer, with a season high of 14.52 meters positioning her second in the European rankings for 2026. Boels acknowledged Masson's need for human adaptation rather than machine-like performance, especially following intensive European Championship preparation. He expressed hope for a medal-winning performance in the final, drawing parallels to his past success coaching Svetlana Bolshakova to a European bronze in 2010.