European indoor long jump champion Jazmin Sawyers made her return at the Loughborough International meet on May 18, producing a promising leap of 6.53m—just past her goal of 6.50m.
This came after 18 months out due to Achilles injury. More importantly, she left the runway healthy, smiling, and focused on the bigger picture: qualifying for Worlds.
“Physically, I think I should be in shape to qualify for the Worlds, so that’s the target,” Sawyers declared after the event.
Her comeback was about more than distance—it was about rediscovering the feeling of being an elite athlete again.
“I’m so excited to be able to come back and give people something to watch again,” she said. “I’ve missed being able to do that myself, so it was a joy to be out there.”
“These moments of competition with crowds and pressure and anticipation is what I do it all for—and I just loved it.”
The 2023 European Indoor Champion admitted the nerves hit hard.
“My heart rate’s been up all day. I’ve been kind of faint… my body was reacting to the fact that this is a big deal. No amount of mindfulness could fix that today—so I just embraced it.”
Jazmin Sawyers acknowledged that her rhythm and timing were off—expected after such a long layoff—but stressed that her body held up well and her technique simply needs sharpening.
“I didn’t jump further not because of any restriction in my Achilles, but because I did things wrong—and that’s kind of expected after 18 months out.”
Her return was one of the biggest stories of the day, despite 21-year-old Molly Palmer grabbing victory with a stunning 6.67m. Wales’ Abigail Pawlett also impressed with a personal best of 6.17m.Sawyers congrtulated Palmer;
“If I were to ignore the fact I’ve been out for eighteen months, that was a solid performance. Hat’s off to Molly…that was unbelievable.”
For Sawyers ,who was born in Stoke-on-Trent to a Jamaican father and an English mother, was initially a child gymnast, participating in the sport from the age of four. At ten years old she began to take part in athletics events at school and decided to start practising in various events.
However, Loughborough was just the beginning. With her confidence restored and her body responding well, she now turns toward the summer with a clear goal: booking her ticket to the World Championships in Tokyo.
