On Tuesday, Dovilė Kilty started at the fifth World Athletics Championships. The athlete, who appeared in the intriguing triple jump qualification, took the highest place in her career, but the demonstrated result (13.86 m) was not enough for a ticket to the final. The Lithuanian, who won the thirteenth place, fell out of the dreamed twelve only after the last jump of her opponent.

36 participants made three jumps in the qualification. On the first attempt, D. Kilty jumped 13.84. This result allowed her to stay in the thirteenth position for a while, and at that time she was only one centimeter short of the twelfth. The Lithuanian, who improved the result with the second jump (13.86 m), rose to the position required for the final, and the third attempt was not counted. After him, the athlete moved twelfth, and the Turkish Tugba Danismaz had another attempt. The European indoor champion jumped 14.00 m and dramatically pushed D. Kilty out of the final place.

Four participants of the qualification fulfilled the norm (14.35 m), while the other eight athletes made it to the final according to the result. After the race, D. Kilty said that the emotions were good, she was brave in the sector, and it was not difficult to congratulate the Turkish woman who snatched the twelfth place: “I was in such a mood because the whole year is so dramatic. The emotions are very good. In the championships, you have to be confident in your strength and go boldly. That’s how I went. I listened to the coach’s instructions and did what I had to do. I didn’t follow my emotions too much. I looked at the position I am in before my last jump, and the Turkish is the European indoor champion. She is a very strong athlete from whom everything can be expected. It wasn’t surprising, really. There is sport here, no personalities, so you have to be happy not only for yourself, but also for others.”

Kilty, who made her debut at the World Championships in Beijing (China) in 2015, finished nineteenth, finished fifteenth in London (Great Britain) in 2017, finished fourteenth in Doha (Qatar) in 2019, and finished twentieth in Budapest (Hungary) in 2023. The Lithuanian who took the highest place in the planet’s championships today also earned a state scholarship, which is awarded for entering the TOP16.

“Very encouraging [result]. I definitely didn’t write myself off before this championship, even though I didn’t ride as the strongest. Today I did mine and I was among the strongest.

Of course, as for any person, it is a sense of security. I think it will be easier to prepare for the Los Angeles Olympics, which I can think about now. So God wanted me to train and reach my heights,” said Kilty about her place in Tokyo and the cash prize she earned.

In 2019, the athlete, who set a career record (14.28 m), jumped the furthest this year in 13.95 m. The result achieved in Tokyo is the third best in 2025. According to D. Kilty, both Richard Kilty, who gave advice from the stands with Lithuanian outfits, and first coach Janina Tribienė contributed to today’s performance: “I feel much calmer when I am with my husband. It gave me a sense of security and the certainty not to rush, not to worry. I would definitely not be here without the a.a. Juozas Tribe and Janina Tribienė – my first coaches. These are my second parents. Thank you, coach.”

This year will be one of the most memorable years in the athlete’s long career – in February, D. Kilty became the Lithuanian Indoor Champion, won fourth place in the European Indoor Championship in March, represented Lithuania in the top division of the European Team Championship in June, wore the crown of the Lithuanian champion in August, and now takes thirteenth place in the world. 2024, when the athlete became an Olympian for the first time, will also remain deep in the memories.

“I rate [the year] very well. If someone had said before the season that I would be fourth in Europe and thirteenth in the world… This is really an amazing achievement, I am very satisfied. Everything happens to athletes, but you should never hang your nose. Sometimes you succeed better, sometimes you are worse, but if you move forward, you will succeed at some point. Like me – maybe that hour will come and I will be in the final someday,” said D. Kilty hopefully.

The triple jumper, who entered the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, emphasized her desire to perform on the big stage, and when asked about the predictions of the final, she also hinted at possible surprises: “In 2021, I didn’t manage to make it to the Tokyo Olympics, it was a double desire to perform well, especially in this stadium. I will have the best memories of Tokyo.

It will be a very interesting final. Really unpredictable places, as we saw yesterday in the women’s 100 m hurdles. The girl who won [Ditaji Kambundji] wasn’t even the favorite. I think we can get a surprise.”

The triple jump final will take place on Thursday at 2:55 p.m. Lithuania is represented by 11 track and field athletes at the World Championships. The Planet Championships in the Far East take place on September 13-21, and the competition is broadcast live by LRT and the portal Eurovision Sport.

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Photo by Alfredas Pliadis