USATF Champs Women’s Long Jump — Davis-Woodhall Overcomes Nail-Biter Start

QUALIFIED? CHECK. World-leading jumps? Check. Drama? Check. Call it a classic Tara Davis-Woodhall performance.

The Olympic champion started out with two big leaps, however she fouled on both. That put her into a bind. One more misstep and she’d be going home empty-handed. Not the kind of headline she came looking for.

Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore held the lead with her round 2 leap of 22-4½ (6.82) — a mark just a centimeter better than her round 1 effort. Davis-Woodhall didn’t need to go beyond that. She only needed to better 20-10½ (6.36) to break into the top 8 and get three more jumps.

So she opted for safe. She barreled down the runway at top speed and touched down well before the board, flying out to 22-8½ (6.92). That took the lead, briefly. Three jumps later, World Indoor champ Claire Bryant went farther, touching down at 22-10½ (6.97), a mark that was barely illegally-aided at 2.1, the only windy mark of the day.

With a new jumping order, TDW unleashed herself for her remaining efforts. In round 4, with plenty to spare on the board, she soared to a 23-4 (7.11) world leader. On her next attempt, again not perfect at the board, she went a little farther, to 23-4½ (7.12).

Quanesha Burks moved into 3rd in that round with her 22-7¾ (6.90). In the final stanza, Stanford’s Alyssa Jones hit the same mark, a PR for her. She would end up 4th. Moore finished her day with a 21-7½ (6.59) and finished 5th.

On her final effort, Davis-Woodhall landed at 22-8 (6.91), and Bryant wrapped the event with a 22-7¼ (6.89).

Of her crucial third jump, the victor said, “Coach said steer to the back of the board. And that’s what I did.”

Now with three straight national titles, she recalled what happened in ’22, when she fouled out: “I didn’t want to repeat that.”

The mission for ’25 is clear, she said: “I just wanted to make the team. I got 2nd place at the World Championships [in ’23].” Now, she indicates, she hopes she is on the runway that will bring her a World gold to go with her Olympic gold.

For now: “I am satisfied. I mean, world lead, I can’t be disappointed in that.”

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WOMEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS

July 31

1. Tara Davis-Woodhall (Nik) 23-4½ (7.12) out PR (WL, AL)

(f, f, 22-8½, 23-4 [WL, AL], 23-4½, 22-8) (f, f, 6.92, 7.11, 7.12, 6.91);

2. Claire Bryant (adi) 22-10½w (6.97)

(22-2½, f, 22-10½w, 21-7¼, 22-¼, 22-7¼) (6.77, f, 6.97w, 6.58, 6.71, 6.89);

3. Quanesha Burks (FPMove) 22-7¾ (6.90)

(f, 22-1½, 21-10, f, 22-7¾, 22-4½) (f, 6.74, 6.65, f, 6.90, 6.82);

4. Alyssa Jones (Stan) 22-7¾ (6.90) PR

(22-¾, 22-1½, 21-1¼, f, f, 22-7¾) (6.72, 6.74, 6.43, f, f, 6.90);

5. Jasmine Moore (Pum) 22-4½ (6.82)

(22-4¼, 22-4½, f, 21-8¾, f, 21-7½) (6.81, 6.82, f, 6.62, f, 6.59);

6. Alexis Brown (Bay) 22-3½ (6.79)

(f, 20-9¼, 21-8¾, f, 22-3½, f) (f, 6.33, 6.62, f, 6.79, f);

7. Monae’ Nichols (Pum) 21-7¼ (6.58)

(f, f, 21-3¼, 21-6¾, 21-7¼, f) (f, f, 6.48, 6.57, 6.58, f);

8. Sydney Johnson (unat) 21-5¼ (6.53)

(21-5¼, 21-0, 20-1¾, 20-1, f, f) (6.53, 6.40, 6.14, 6.12, f, f);

9. Nicole Warwick (VSA) 20-10½ (6.36); 10. Sydney Willits (IaSt) 20-10 (6.35); 11. Imani Moore (GaSn) 20-7 (6.27) ; 12. Kayla Woods (GardStTC) 20-6¼ (6.25); 13. Tacoria Humphrey (Il) 20-5 (6.22); 14. Tionna Tobias (unat) 20-1 (6.12) ;… 3f— Jasmine Akins (unat), Synclair Savage (Louis).