I will be happy if I could jump 8.30m in Barcelona and defend my title, says Andrew Howe – European Athletics (EAA) – News

Italian long jumper and European champion Andrew Howe surprised his home crowd with a brilliant 8.16m leap at the national championships in Grosseto at the end of June. It was his first competition in almost two years after a spate of injuries forced him to stay away from jumping.

Apart from some sprint races this summer, Howe’s last competition dates back to August 2009. The 25-year-old is now looking forward to the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona, which will begin on 27 July.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview with the Barcelona 2010 website.

B10: Congratulations for your great win at the Italian Championships. Did you expect such a top performance at your comeback?

Howe: I was a little surprised as well but very happy with my win. To be honest, I did not expect to jump that far. My plan was to go slightly over 8m, I wanted to start slowly. I agreed with my doctor not to push it too hard. He had given me clear instructions: “do not exaggerate it”. But the competition went well, I felt good and jumped a little farther than planned. I didn’t even hit the white; it would have been 15-20cms more.

How is your foot now?
It’s OK, although I’m still feeling some pain, nothing major though. By the time of the European Athletics Championships it should be gone.

What do you think is your objective for Barcelona 2010?
I would love to be on the top, defend my title, but it’s obviously going to be very hard. I will be happy if I could jump 8.30m in Barcelona and defend my title. Most importantly, I need to find my rhythm again, get back into competitions and create a good basis for next year. It’s going to be my first competition in Barcelona so I am really looking forward to it. We’ll see how it goes. There are some strong rivals, such as Bayer (Sebastian) and Shalin (Pavel).

What was going through your head when you were not able to compete?
It was harsh for me. Everybody is competing and you can’t do anything but wait and focus on your rehabilitation. That’s not easy at all. But I kept telling myself: “Hold on tight.” I knew I was going to come back sooner or later.

Did you plan for another competition before Barcelona 2010?
Well, I would like to compete once more before the Europeans, although I’m not sure yet where, most probably in Italy. I also want to compete in another 100m race to keep my speed up. I still need to get lighter and faster ahead of Barcelona.

You are very fast and achieved great performances over 100 and 200m. Which of the two do you prefer?
I prefer running the 200m where I’m more relaxed and not too tight. It’s easier for me to focus on long-term speed. Anyway, the 100m is very important for a long jumper, although for me it is very hard at the same time.

You were born in Los Angeles, your mother is American but you compete for Italy. Do you feel American or Italian?
I get that (question) a lot, especially here in Italy as I look like I'm from somewhere else. But for me it’s no question: I'm an Italian, 100%. I moved here when I was two-years-old, all my friends are here. I can’t even relate to American schooling. Yes, I speak English because my mom is from the States, but I have grown up in Italian culture since I was a baby. I didn’t grow up with American beliefs, I’m an Italian and I love my country.

So you look forward to representing Italy at Barcelona 2010?
Man, I can’t wait. The best thing is when you stay on top of the podium and listen to your national anthem. That’s one of the greatest moments in the life of an athlete.

You are still very young, what are your future goals?
There is still a lot to come, I’m sure, I would love to win the Olympic Games and get closer to the world record, beating it one day is certainly one of my objectives. But I still need to grow as an athlete to get there. You always learn in life, we will see what the future brings.

European Athletics (EAA) – News