Tara Davis-Woodhall, an American track and field star, performed one of her best to date in the long jump at the indoor world championships in Glasgow, Scotland. She took gold and remained undefeated for the year, with a huge jump of over seven meters. Davis-Woodhall's approach to the long jump is characterized by having fun and being free-spirited, even in the heat of fierce competition. She says her M.O. is to have fun and cheer on her teammates, as it keeps her energized and keeps her going. The victory in Glasgow felt like a breakthrough moment for Davis-Woodhall, who had come close to winning gold at last year's world championships. Her approach to the long jump is characterized by her ability to have fun and be free-spirited, even in the heat of competition.
“That second place was a blessing in disguise,” says Davis-Woodhall. “I feel like it showed me that you can work harder … I love second, I love my medal, don’t get me wrong. But I had gold at one point during that competition and it was swiped right from me.
Davis-Woodhall, a 24-year-old, was in the lead when Serbia's Ivana Španović won gold with her fifth attempt, relegating her to silver. The second place was bittersweet but also formative, as it showed Davis-Woodhall that she can work harder and that her gold medal was stolen at one point during the competition.
“That’s where it’s like: okay, now I’ve got to put something so far out that no one can take it from you again.”
“Gold is number one, obviously,” she says, “but I just want to go out there and have fun.”
Davis-Woodhall has had a successful start to the year, winning all four long jump events and setting a lifetime best at the US indoor championships in Albuquerque. With the Paris Olympics in August, Davis-Woodhall is in fantastic form and is focusing on enjoying the occasion as she would any other event.
Davis-Woodhall, a former Olympic long jumper, is turning 25 this year and is finding more joy in her current career than she did at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. She has gained popularity in track and field, with her husband, Paralympic sprinter Hunter Woodhall, having 775,000 YouTube subscribers to their vlog, "Tara and Hunter." Davis-Woodhall's success has earned her sponsorship deals with energy drink Celsius and sportswear brand Lululemon, and her cowboy hat, if not her singing and dancing, makes her a recognizable presence at events.
As one of the world's top long jumpers, Davis-Woodhall's opinion and voice matter, particularly when it comes to the future of the sport. World Athletics is interested in developing a take-off zone in the place of a fixed board, which would eliminate fouls and measure an athlete from where they start their jump to where they land in the pit. However, Davis-Woodhall is among those who don't see this proposal catching on, as it may take away from the principle of long jump.
Low-level and high school events may not be able to use the technology required to measure a jump from a take-off zone, creating a split between amateur and professional long jump competitions. Davis-Woodhall is open to change and believes that trial and error is good sometimes. More important for her is that she is enjoying her sport more than ever right now, feeling like she has ownership over her performances and career.
With the Olympics looming, this year feels laden with possibilities, especially for an athlete like Davis-Woodhall, currently jumping further and with more confidence than ever before.