Bulgaria celebrates historic Diamond League victory

Athlete of Bulgaria 2025 Award holder Bozhidar Saraboyukov won the men's long jump event at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.

The European indoor long jump champion secured victory with a superb final-round leap of 8.26 metres, having been in third place before his last attempt. The result marked his first career win on the Diamond League circuit, the premier series of one-day athletics meetings, and Bulgaria's first-ever Diamond League victory in a men's event. Until now, the country's only Diamond League winner had been sprint star Ivet Lalova-Collio in the women's events, CE Report quotes BTA.

The World Indoor Championships bronze medallist opened with 8.13 metres and then recorded jumps of 8.00, 7.98, 7.98 and 7.96 metres, completing all six attempts successfully.

"Perhaps this is the first competition this season that I am really satisfied with. Not because of the result, but because I showed the fighting spirit I wanted to show. I'm extremely happy because this is my first Diamond League victory and also because I got injured here last year. The crowd was absolutely incredible," Saraboyukov told Max One after the competition.

Second place went to Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou, the two-time Olympic champion from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 and world champion from Budapest 2023, who jumped 8.24 metres with his final attempt. Cuba's Jorge Hodelin finished third with 8.18 metres.

For Saraboyukov, Bulgaria's national record holder in the event, this was his third Diamond League appearance of the season. He opened his campaign in China, finishing second in Shanghai with 8.07 metres before placing third in Xiamen with 8.29 metres.

His next Diamond League appearance is scheduled for July 10 in Monte Carlo.

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