Commonwealth Games 2026: England's Sawyers puts heartbreak to secure long jump gold
Jazmin Sawyers won the women's long jump gold medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. This victory marks a significant comeback for the 32-year-old athlete following a serious Achilles injury that forced her to miss the 2024 Olympics.
Why it matters
The story highlights the resilience of elite athletes overcoming career-threatening injuries to achieve major championship success.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Jazmin Sawyers has also competed for Great Britain in bobsleigh and heptathlon
England's Jazmin Sawyers was finally able to put previous disappointments at major championships behind her by winning the women's long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The 32-year-old bounced back from serious injury to celebrate a gold medal on a night when there was a silver for England's mixed 4x400m relay team and a bronze for pole vaulter Owen Heard.
Sawyers finished just outside the medals in fourth place at the previous games in Birmingham four years ago, failed to qualify for the final of the 2023 World Championships and was then forced to miss the 2024 Olympics.
She had to undergo surgery after rupturing her Achilles tendon on her take-off leg and so, rather than competing in Paris ended up commentating for the BBC.
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