Algarve’s Gerson Baldé sets world’s best outdoor long jump of 2026

World indoor long jump champion Gerson Baldé continued his outstanding 2026 season on Saturday by recording the longest outdoor jump in the world this year.

The 26-year-old, who was born in Albufeira and represents Sporting CP, produced a winning leap of 8.15 metres at the Tag der Überflieger meeting in Essen, Germany, to top the international field.

South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga finished second with 8.04m, while Germany’s Simon Plitzko completed the podium with 7.92m.

The victory marks Baldé’s second consecutive triumph at the Essen meeting, having won last year’s edition with a meeting record jump of 8.20m.

The Portuguese athlete has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the international stage. In March, he produced a dramatic final-round leap of 8.46m to win gold at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, setting a new Portuguese record and becoming world indoor champion.

That performance earned him a nomination for European Athletics’ Athlete of the Month for March and firmly established him among the world’s elite long jumpers.

Saturday’s victory further strengthens his credentials ahead of the major outdoor championships later this season, with his 8.15m now standing as the best outdoor mark recorded anywhere in the world in 2026.

Albufeira Municipal Council congratulated the athlete on his latest success. Mayor Rui Cristina, who welcomed Baldé at the town hall following his world indoor title earlier this year, previously described the athlete’s achievements as “a remarkable milestone that makes all the people of Albufeira proud.”

Michael Bruxo

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.