Germany's reigning world long-jump champion Malaika Mihambo plans to move to the United States to be trained by athletics legends Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell.

"I want to develop as an athlete and as a person," Mihambo said on Sunday. "I have the feeling that now is the right time for such a big step.

"Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell, who will be my sprint coach, were among the best in the world for years. I can learn a lot from them, that's irreplaceable."

Mihambo won world gold in Doha in October with a personal best leap of 7.30 meters and was voted her country's athlete of the year in 2019. Only former East German legend Heike Drechsler, who managed 7.48m in 1988, has jumped further for Germany.

Xinhua - Agencies