"One of the scariest moments of my career": Tara Davis-Woodhall reacts to fouling first two attempts before winning the long jump at US Olympic Trials

American Olympian long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall shared her reaction to fouling her first two attempts at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials, which almost cost her qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Davis-Woodhall has been representing her nation in the women's long jump for years, and she has won several accolades along the way, including securing a silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and a world indoor title.

In addition to that, she was also named the World Youth Champion in 2015 while competing for Agoura High School. As per the World Athletics, Davis-Woodhall currently places second in the current long jump world rankings.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old athlete has joined the likes of Gabby Thomas and Sha'Carri Richardson following her qualification for the Paris Olympics 2024 on Saturday, June 29, and she will be leading her nation at the upcoming French event in July. Her Olympics ticket came in a dramatic fashion as she scratched on both her initial two attempts, and the jumper was left with only one chance to make it, and she very much did so with a jump of 6.64 meters that earned her three more chances to prove herself.

Tara Davis-Woodhall then made sure that she capitalized on the earned chances and won the event with a 7.00 meters (22 feet, 11 inches) jump. Following her victory, the athlete expressed her views in a post-event interview and stated (via Citius Mag):

"It was honestly one of the scariest moments of my career. But I did not let that get into my head. I had to stay focused. I had to stay present. I just allowed myself to embrace it. And whatever happens, happens."

"Gold is number one, obviously" - Tara Davis-Woodhall's aspirations for Paris Olympics 2024

2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field - Day 9

Tara Davis-Woodhall has already participated in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020, but she had a forgettable outing there as she could only manage a best finish of 6.84 meters and hence had to settle for sixth place in the finals.

However, this time around, the American track and field prodigy appears brimming with confidence. In an interview with CNN Sports this year in April, she expressed her ambition of winning a gold medal at the French Games and stated:

"Gold is number one, obviously, but I just want to go out there and have fun. I’m turning 25 this year and being able to come into an adult version of myself."

Reflecting on her Tokyo Olympics performance, she added that she was pushing herself too hard to win a gold and was not enjoying the sport much, which she says has changed now.