Olympic Long Jump Champion Tara Davis-Woodhall Switches to Hurdles — Wins Ward Haylett Invitational in 12.99 Seconds

Olympic and world long jump champion Tara Davis‑Woodhall traded the sand pit for the hurdles once again, returning to an event she had not raced in since 2021.

On Friday (8 May) at the Ward Haylett Invitational in Manhattan, Kansas, Davis‑Woodhall ran the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.99 seconds to win her first hurdles race in four years — fittingly in the same city where she last competed over the barriers.

“Honestly enjoying the hurdles so much,” she shared on social media. “Getting out of my comfort zone and learning my body so much. I’ve used the hurdles to get stronger and faster. This season is all about growth and moving forward. Excited for the season to start.”

She admitted she is “still trying to figure it all out” and joked that she sometimes feels “like a literal potato,” noting her biggest challenge has been controlling her arms: “They are wild!”

Ahead of her return, Davis‑Woodhall reached out to fellow Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist Masai Russell for advice. Russell’s tip: “Think ‘long long long, short short, short’” — a rhythm Davis‑Woodhall laughed off but put into practice.

While fans now associate her primarily with the long jump, hurdles were once central to her rise. In high school, she set a U.S. national record of 13.01 and a California state record of 12.95 in the 100m hurdles. At the University of Georgia, she ran a wind‑legal 13.04 and became Georgia’s first‑ever All‑American in the 60m hurdles indoors, clocking a world junior record of 7.98.

She later transferred to the University of Texas, balancing long jump and hurdles before turning professional in 2021 and focusing on the event that would make her an Olympic and world champion.

Her personal best in the 100m hurdles stands at a wind‑assisted 12.61, with a legal best of 12.75 — times that would have been fast enough for seventh place in the Paris 2024 Olympic final