German long jump champion Markus Rehm comfortably secured his seventh consecutive world title Wednesday at the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe.
The "blade jumper" who took gold at the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics and current world record holder successfully defended his title, edging Americans Derek Loccident and Trenten Merrill, respectively, to win the gold medal in the men's long jump T64 final in the western Japan city by 61 centimeters.
He achieved a season-best 8.30 meters at Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium, coming slightly short of the record 8.72 he landed in Germany just over a year ago.
"I'm sure we will come even closer...toward Paris, and hope we see even bigger jumps there," he said, while entertaining the idea of leaping beyond 9 meters in the French capital.
The 35-year-old acknowledged that among his opponents, Loccident especially was a "huge talent," adding he could feel the competition was getting "closer and closer" as the world's top athletes set their sights on August's Paris Paralympics.
He also emphasized that better competition was beneficial for the sport in general, saying he shared tips and techniques with his peers to improve the quality of para long jump and show fans it could be on par with its Olympic counterpart.
"The further we jump, the better is the advertisement for our sport," he said. "If you want to see real good jumps...you don't have to only go to the Olympics."
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