Who can defeat Tara Davis-Woodhall at the Paris Olympics 2024? Exploring the long jumper's top rivals

Long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall has had a near perfect 2024 so far, and she will be hoping for that form to carry over into the Paris Olympics. Making her second-consecutive appearance at the Games, the American will be gunning for her first podium finish at the marquee event, but will have to face some strong opposition in the way there.

The biggest hurdle between Woodhall and the elusive Olympic gold medal is Serbian Ivana Spanovic. The 34-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best long-jumpers of all-time, with her 7.24m jump in 2017 placing her 15th in the all-time list.

Spanovic has an Olympic bronze, a World Championships gold, two World Indoor Championships titles, and six Diamond League trophies to her name. The only thing missing from her resume is the Olympic crown, and Paris will be the Serbian’s last chance to claim it, as she has already announced her retirement following the Games.

Another legendary athlete standing between Tara Davis-Woodhall and her maiden Olympic gold is Germany’s Malaika Mihambo. The 30-year-old is the reigning Olympic champion, a two-time World Championships and European Championships gold-medalist, and a big threat on the field.

Mihambo’s personal best in the event is a jump of 7.30m, good enough to place her 12th on the all-time list. Additionally, the German has been in impeccable form this season, achieving a jump of 7.22m at the European Athletics Championships in Roma earlier this year, a mark which is 0.04m better than Woodhall's all time personal best.

Nigeria's Ese Brume will pose another challenge for the American at the Paris Olympics. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Brume's personal best of 7.17m is just 0.01m behind Woodhall's, but the Nigerian holds significantly more Olympic experience than her American counterpart.

For Brume, the Paris Olympics will mark her third successful outing at the Games. At the Tokyo Olympics, the 28-year-old had walked away with bronze, and she will be looking to add to that tally come time in Paris.

For Tara Davis-Woodhall, her threats aren't only international, as teammates Jasmine Moore and Monae Nichols could very well be the ones that impede her on her way to the podium.

Although Moore is a specialist of the triple jump, she's made her way onto Team USA for the long jump as well, achieving a mark of 6.98m at the Trials. The 23-year-old is also an NCAA Champion in the event, with a mark of 7.03m.

Meanwhile, Nichols is the one who clinched silver behind Woodhall at the Glasgow World Indoor Championships. While the 25-year-old is yet to breach the 7m mark legally, her performances in the season so far promise big things.

When will Tara Davis-Woodhall compete at the Paris Olympics?

After winning the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials with a mark of 7.0m, Tara Davis-Woodhall has now solidified her place at the 2024 Olympics. Her campaign in Paris will begin on August 6, with the qualification rounds of the women's long jump.

Success on that day will result in the American returning to the tracks two days later, on August 8, for the finals. Last time she competed at the Olympics, Tara Davis-Woodhall finished sixth with a jump of 6.84m.