"My coach blocked me because I was too good for his ladies"- When Tara Davis-Woodhall opened up about her experience at University of Texas

Reigning long jump Olympic champion. Tara Davis-Woodhall once opened up about her experience at the University of Texas where she competed for two years (2019-201). This came two years ago in 2022, a year after the long jumper left the University of Texas to join the University of Georgia.

Davis-Woodhall produced some impressive performances for the track and field side of the University of Texas, clinching numerous titles at the Big 12 Championships. She also clinched a long jump gold medal at the 2021 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships after registering a mark of 6.70m.

However, the long jumper faced differential treatment from the institution's track and field coaches.

Speaking during an episode of the Shawn & Andrews podcast, Tara Davis-Woodhall revealed that she was left out of the main team by the Texas Longhorns coach because she was more potent and efficient compared to the other track athletes on the coach's side.

Davis-Woodhall also mentioned that this snub from the main team negatively impacted her mental health. She said (at 18:20):

"I got to Texas in 2019 and had to sit out because my coach blocked me because I was too good of an athlete to compete against his ladies. And then I had a back problem and I had stress fractures so I think the sitting out did well for that injury but like mentally it was hard."

Fast forward to 2024, Davis-Woodhall herself has been appointed as an assistant coach at Kansas State University where she will aim to help the young athletes mature and develop.

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Tara Davis-Woodhall opens up about the belief she had before her gold medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Davis-Woodhall during the long jump event at World Athletics Championships in Budapest (Image via: Getty)

Tara Davis-Woodhall opened up about the self belief that she harbored before her event finals at the Paris quadrennial event. This came just a few hours after she won the gold medal in the long jump event at the French capital.

During an interview, Davis-Woodhall expressed her confidence in winning the event. She revealed that she had repeatedly affirmed to herself that she would claim the Olympic gold medal on August 8. She said (via Flotrack):

"I told myself 8/08, that's the day I win the Olympics. When I found out I was jumping at 8 p.m., I knew it was perfect. It was a sign from God. I've gotten first place taken away from me multiple times. I wanted to just keep on staying in the moment."

With her victory in the final, Davis-Woodhall brought the Women's long jump gold medal back to the USA after an eight-year hiatus. The last time the USA claimed the title was in 2016 at the Rio Olympics, when Tianna Bartolette won the event.