On June 15, the American long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall stepped onto Stockholm’s historic Olympic stadium runway for the very first time. Until then, her only competition this season had been at the 115th Drake Relays in Iowa.
Traveling alongside her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, Tara was eager to test her form on the international stage. And when the moment arrived, it became about far more than meters and medals.
On her very first attempt, she soared to a superb 7.05m with a legal wind reading of +1.3m/s. The jump set a meeting record (MR), a season’s best, and ranked as the third-longest jump in the world this year.
She convincingly beat a strong field that included Italy’s Larissa Iapichino (6.90m), fellow American Jasmine Moore (6.76m), and Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo (6.75m) of Germany.
In a post-race interview with the Wanda Diamond League, Tara revealed the powerful emotions that swept over her as she entered the storied stadium.
“It’s so surreal to actually be here and then to win and tie the meet record. I’m just saying it’s wild,” she said.
“When I first actually walked in, I got so emotional, yes, because I could feel the history behind the stadium. And if you look in the stands, there’s so much history.”
For Davis-Woodhall, the weight of history wasn’t just about past athletic triumphs.
“I mean, if you look it up, if you look up the stadium history, there’s so much like women couldn’t even be allowed in the stadium. Women couldn’t compete until like the 1960s, 1920s. I’ve got to remember what it said,” she added.
“But yeah, just to be in the stadium as an African American woman as well. It’s just pretty wild.”
Tara’s Role in Shaping the Sport’s Future
Davis-Woodhall’s commitment to breaking new ground extends beyond the long jump pit. Earlier this month, she joined a groundbreaking initiative aimed at reshaping professional track and field. ATHLOS, a newly launched league designed to shift the sport from solo competitions to team-based matchups, named Tara as one of its founding athlete-owners alongside sprint stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas.
The league injects fresh energy into track and field, letting fans support teams and athletes influence the sport’s direction.
“Gabby, Sha’Carri, and Tara represent a new generation of athletes who have put this sport on their shoulders and deserve to be compensated for being the standard-bearers,” said ATHLOS co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
As advisor-owners, Davis-Woodhall and her peers will help shape the league’s direction, ensuring that athletes are heard, represented, and properly valued.