Tara Davis-Woodhall’s personalty always beams during competition and after her gold medal win in the long jump on Thursday, she added a new layer of shine to her arsenal.
She leaped 7.10m to seal the Olympic title and held off defending champion, Germany’s Malaika Mihambo (6.98) as fellow American Jasmine Moore took bronze at 6.96. Moore also won bronze in the triple jump on Saturday.
“I’ve never doubted myself this season and that has helped as well, mentally and physically,” Davis-Woodhall said. “Trials prepared me for this moment. I had the most pressure on myself that I didn’t realize. I think the pressure was released once I got it on the board and was able to jump seven meters.”
Davis-Woodhall, 25, first hit the Olympic stage in Tokyo in 2021 and finished sixth.
But headed into Paris she rode the momentum of being the favorite in the long jump despite dealing with a bone bruise in her heel during trials. She is also the only American to jump seven meters, and did it four times heading into the final, with fifth time — the 7.10m jump — guaranteeing her the gold.
Mihambo, with her last jump, was in a position to challenge Davis-Woodhall’s mark, but never found her form on the runway and trotted into the sand for a foul.
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