Romania’s Ramona Elena Verman delivered the best performance of her career on Sunday, finishing sixth in the women’s long jump at the World Indoor Athletics Championships in Toruń, Poland, with a personal best of 6.72 meters.
The 22-year-old athlete, coached by Aura Balaban and representing CSM Bacău, achieved the mark in the fifth round of the final, improving her previous personal best by three centimeters. The earlier record had been set just last month at the Romanian National Championships.
Verman, competing in her first senior World Indoor Championships and still eligible for the under-23 category, was the youngest athlete in the event. She produced a consistent series of jumps without a foul, opening with 6.60 meters, followed by 6.61 and 6.58 meters.
According to her coaching team, the third attempt measured 6.58 meters despite being taken before the take-off board, suggesting a potential distance close to 6.80 meters — a mark that would have been enough for a bronze medal.
The competition was won by Portugal’s Agate de Sousa with a jump of 6.92 meters. Italy’s Larissa Iapichino, the reigning European indoor champion, finished second, while Colombia’s Natalia Linares claimed bronze with 6.80 meters.
Coach Aura Balaban praised Verman’s performance, describing it as an “extraordinary achievement” at her debut in a senior world championship.
“Finishing sixth in the world and setting a personal best at her first senior World Championships shows both her talent and her ability to compete under pressure,” Balaban said.
Verman, who was named the top athlete of Bacău County in 2025, won the European Under-23 title last year with a jump of 6.60 meters and later placed third at the Balkan Senior Championships with 6.63 meters.
Her result in Toruń is seen as a major confirmation of her potential and a strong boost ahead of the upcoming European Athletics Championships scheduled for this summer in Birmingham.
