Vashti Cunningham's Age

Olympian Vashti Cunningham is an American high jumper, born on January 18, 1998. At 18, she qualified for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, finishing 13th and at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she finished sixth. She has also qualified for the 2024 Paris Games, her third Olympic appearance.

The 26-year-old athlete went to Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, graduating in 2016, and later announced she would complete her education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her achievements include winning a gold medal at the 2015 Edmonton Pan American Junior Championships, another gold at the 2016 Portland World Indoor Championships, and a silver medal at the 2018 Birmingham World Indoor Championships.

Most recently, she won a bronze medal at the 2019 Doha World Championships. Further, she won her 13th U.S. high jump championship in July 2023 when she won the U.S. outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon.

How old is Vashti Cunnigham?

Vashti Cunningham is 26 years old as of August 2024. She was born on January 18, 1998.

Before being a high jump athlete, Cunningham changed a few sports. In kindergarten, she played football (soccer), which was later switched to flag football, where she played running back and quarterback, before moving on to volleyball and basketball.

However, she left the volleyball team in the fourth grade and her father took her to the track for the first time since he was already coaching her older brother in the high jump, and so she followed in her brother’s footsteps.

Cunningham hails from an all-sports family; her brother, Randall Cunningham II, is a four-time NCAA All-American, U.S. Junior National Champion, Pan American Junior Athletics Championships Champion, and a two-time NCAA track champion. Her father and uncle, Randall Cunningham and Sam Cunningham, are retired NFL players, and her mother, Felicity de Jager Cunningham, is a former Dance Theatre of Harlem ballerina.

Vashti Cunningham’s Height

Vashti Cunningham stands 6 feet 1 inch or 186 cm., tall.

Vashti Cunningham’s Weight

Vashti Cunningham weighs 55 kg., or 121 lbs.

How long can Vashti Cunningham jump?

Vashti Cunningham's personal best in high jump was achieved in May 2021 at 2.02 meters. Her long jump personal best was in May 2015 at 5.81 meters, and her second personal best was at the same event at 5.85 meters.

Randall, her father and coach, uses an effective, but unorthodox, training method that limits her jumping during practice and the number of events she participates in each year. Rather, he places more of an emphasis on strength and speed training, utilizing methods he picked up while playing in the National Football League (NFL). Restricting her jumping lessens the danger of injury, which is her father's top priority, and helps her body remain fresh in the days leading up to an event.