Markus Rehm, the parajumper who dreams of beating Mike Powell’s record – Libération

The 36-year-old German triple Paralympic champion, nicknamed the “blade jumper”, is attempting this Wednesday, August 4, to beat his own world record, or even to clear 9 m, a jump never before achieved by able-bodied people or parathletes.

Sign up to receive free our Libélympique newsletter every morning during the Paralympic Games.

Nine meters is the length of two cars. It is the width of a tennis court, without the corridors. The height of about three floors of a building. Nine meters is five centimeters more than the historical record in the long jump set by the American Mike Powell, at the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991 during a memorable competition. Nine meters is the measurement written on the wallpaper of Markus Rehm’s phone. The German para long jumper (T64 category) has had this mark in mind for years. To clear nine meters as a revenge. Him, the triple Paralympic champion, who has always been rejected at the Olympic Games. Hit by a boat at the age of 14 while wakeboarding with his father, he lost his leg in 2003. Five years later, he moved to Leverkusen to fully commit to para-athletics, under the guidance of Steffi Nerius, silver medallist in Athens in the javelin throw.

Very quickly, Markus Rehm’s level exploded. In 2014, when he became German champion among able-bodied athletes, he became known