The 28-year-old from Šiauliai, competing for the third time in the continental championships, had to stop at the qualification stage for the third time.
On Tuesday morning at the still sleepy “Alexander” stadium in Birmingham, his best attempt cleared a height of 2.10 m.
He cleared the bar on the very first jump, but when the bar was raised by an additional 5 cm – J. Baikštys knocked it down all three times.
For the Lithuanian, this meant the end of the qualification and the championship.
Understand instantly
J. Baikštys in qualification: 2.10m (o) / 2.15m (xxx) – 20th place (out of 26 participants).
A place in the final was guaranteed by a height of 2.26 m or a place among the top twelve.
After the last jump, J. Baikštys sat down on the bench for a long time.
With his head bowed, the Lithuanian immediately received an encouraging pat on the shoulder from a colleague, and then, focused, he moved towards the stands, where his mother and coach Juzefa Baikštienė were watching and advising his jumps.
“Tragic, pitiful, shameful… – the jumper scolded himself when he came to the journalists. – Shameful in front of myself, in front of the people who believed in me.
The weather conditions were perfect. Everything here is good. The preparation seemed good. I felt good during training, but I come here – and I can’t jump. It’s hard to say. My legs feel rubbery… A few days ago it was still good, but now – like rubber…”
“My health is also fine. No pain, I have nothing. A few months ago there was a little, but that’s in the past now. It seemed I was well prepared. Turns out – no. Maybe physically I am, but mentally, psychologically – bad,” continued J. Baikštys, tapping his head with his finger.
– In other competitions, I jump better despite bigger problems… Such minor technical things can’t make such a huge difference.”
J. Baikštys’s career record is 2.27 m. He first cleared this height in 2021, and repeated it last August.
“It’s terribly sad,” the high jumper opened up. “I’m ashamed in front of myself. I don’t understand why I come to the championship and can’t jump? The only explanation is that everything is here (points to his head), because I jump best before championships, but when I come, I remain just a shadow.
And I’m not a debutant, this is probably my sixth or seventh big championship, including indoor championships. It’s hard to talk, hard to say anything. I just can’t imagine. I wanted to do well, but it turned out like always.”
Understand instantly
This is J. Baikštys’s third European championship. His best so far was his debut – in 2022 in Munich he placed 14th (2.17 m). In 2024 in Rome – 24th (2.12 m). Both times he failed to reach the final.
The Lithuanian high jump record since 1994 belongs to Rolandas Verkys – 2.34 m.
The men’s high jump final will take place on Friday at 22:00 (Lithuanian time).
“At the moment I have no plans for this season. There is a possibility to participate in one more competition at the end of August, but I don’t know – I need to talk with my mother and manager,” concluded J. Baikštys.
