2024 Paris Olympic Games

Tara Davis-Woodhall Wins First Olympic Gold Medal In Long Jump

Tara Davis-Woodhall Wins First Olympic Gold Medal In Long Jump

Team USA's Tara Davis-Woodhall wins her first gold medal at the Paris Olympics, blocking Germany's Malaika Mihambo from going back to back.

Aug 8, 2024 by Campbell Choate
Tara Davis-Woodhall Wins First Olympic Gold Medal In Long Jump

After taking the Olympic long jump lead following her second attempt on Thursday at Stade de France, Tara Davis-Woodhall's next focus was on making sure there was no doubt. 

While reigning Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo put together a challenge over her fifth jump, it wasn't enough to topple the California native, as Davis-Woodhall scored a winning mark of 7.10 meters on her fourth attempt to seal her first Olympic title. 

"I told myself 8/08, that's the day I win the Olympics," Davis-Woodhall said to reporters in the mixed zone following her gold medal win. "When I found out I was jumping at 8 p.m., I knew it was perfect. It was a sign from God."

With a silver medal from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest behind her, Davis-Woodhall continued her emergence on a global scale. 

Mihambo from Germany, the 2021 winner and a two-time World champion, was second with a mark of 6.96 meters while Jasmine Moore, who had earned bronze in the triple jump on Aug. 3, followed with her second straight medal and a third-place finish with a mark of 6.96m.

Moore became just the second woman in Olympic history to medal in two events, joining Russia's Tatyana Lebedeva, who secured medals in both events in 2004.

Moore led the group with a mark of 6.96m after the first jump of her series. 

"I feel like I normally kind of start off strong, so I wasn't surprised," Moore said. "It felt a little funky but I knew I that I was capable of jumping far today."

Headed into her final three attempts, Davis-Woodhall led with Moore in second and Mihambo in third. She padded her broad sheet with a 7.10 meter effort on her fourth attempt. 

The reigning Olympic champion had distance to make up and with her fifth attempt she did. Mihambo hit 6.98m in the pit to move up to silver, moving Moore to third. 

Although it seemed like Davis-Woodhall had the win secured, she didn't let herself think that. 

"I've gotten first place taken away from me multiple times," Davis-Woodhall said. "I wanted to just keep on staying in the moment."

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