Latest news with #Davis-Woodhall
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Tara Davis-Woodhall brings her star power as Athlos NYC adds a field event
The next edition of Athlos NYC, the track event featuring the stars in women's athletics, will get a boost from one of the elements that was clearly missing from the inaugural event last September: Tara Davis-Woodhall. The Olympic gold medalist in the women's long jump will headline the new field addition to Athlos NYC, the showcase created by Reddit co-founder and Angel City FC co-founder Alexis Ohanian. After the inaugural event drew over three million viewers across its platforms, on the heels of the Paris Games, the second Athlos NYC event is set for Oct. 10 again at Icahn Stadium in New York. Sprinter Gabby Thomas and hurdler Masai Russell, both Paris gold medalists, have already committed to return. Advertisement Davis-Woodhall essentially committed while watching Athlos NYC go down the first time. The sense of FOMO made her determined to join the party celebrating women's athletics — and offering the largest purse available in the sport. 'All my friends were there,' she said in an interview last week. 'Meg Thee Stallion was performing. What? Of course I belonged there.' Athlos isn't adding her because it's adding field. No, it wanted the star power of Davis-Woodhall, so it figured out how to add long jump. It will be the only field event of this year's event. Davis-Woodhall helped Athlos NYC construct a way to produce a legitimate competition, with results recognized by World Athletics, while maintaining the extravagant ambitions. 'I learned this firsthand as we were building Angel City,' Ohanian said in an interview last week. 'It's not about the commissioner. It's not about the owner. It's not about the logo or the brand of the team. It's about the players. The athletes are the reason folks spend their hard-earned money. It's the reason we scream. It's the reason we cry. It's athletes, athletes, athletes. So when you look at all the field events, especially through an American lens, there is one transcendent star of field, especially American. And it's her. That is the gravitational pull. You look at follower accounts. You can look at endorsements. You look at whatever metrics you want to use. Objectively, it's her.' Ohanian said his trip to the U.S. Olympic trials in Eugene, Ore., in July put Davis-Woodhall high on his list of stars to bring into the fold. Davis-Woodhall is a captivating performer on the track. She commands the attention of an entire stadium. Just about all long jumpers invite the crowd to clap in an escalating tempo before their jump, generating energy to push them down the runway. But when Davis-Woodhall does it, the whole stadium seems to stop and join in, creating a thunderous applause that lets you know who's jumping. Advertisement It's largely because of her personality off the court. Her and her husband, Paralympic gold medalist Hunter Woodhall, have generated a massive following on social media with a window into their life. Davis-Woodhall's beaming smile, intense eyes, raspy voice and general hilarity star in the show that is their life. Also, she's the best long jumper in the world. The push to popularize track and field in America, especially in advance of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, has started to leave out field events. (Grand Slam Track, American Olympic legend Michael Johnson's track venture, also excludes field events.) Their pace of play makes it an easy sacrifice when trying to translate the sport to an American television audience — the only way athletics will reach a new level in the U.S. But Woodhall's star power pushes back on that trend. Her fame transcends her event and puts her on a level with more-popular sprinters, such as Thomas and Sha'Carri Richardson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. She's been central in growing the sport. 'Yeah, my back hurts from carrying the sport,' Davis-Woodhall said through her trademark smile. Part of what she wants to do is repackage the long jump to highlight its difficulty. Translate it so a larger audience can understand. For example, from the mind of Davis-Woodhall, her best jump in Paris was 7.10 meters. Those who follow the sport respect the distance of seven meters. But she'd convey to a larger audience how that's like jumping from the 3-point line to the rim. Ohanian wouldn't divulge any details, but he said Athlos NYC will present a 'unique' long jump event. Davis-Woodhall has been hands-on with crafting the storytelling and vision. 'It's an honor to represent field events and bring the long jump to the forefront at Athlos NYC,' she said. 'Athlos is giving our discipline the spotlight it deserves, and I'm proud to be part of that movement. I can't wait to compete and give the crowd a real sense of what makes this event so special.' (Top photo of Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrating her gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
The Hindu
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Olympic champs Russell, Davis-Woodhall win at Drake Relays
Reigning Olympic champions Masai Russell and Tara Davis-Woodhall won in solid early season fashion at the 115th Drake Relays on Saturday at Des Moines, Iowa. US star Russell won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.74 with a 1.4 m/sec tailwind with Bahamian Denisha Cartwright second in 12.93. 'It felt good,' Russell said. 'It's a little windy so I was just glad to make it to the finish line first. I just wanted to stay tight, stay clean and get it over the last five (meters). 'I'm just getting that groove back so we can bring that momentum into the US championships and the worlds.' The meet's elite events were an early tuneup for September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. READ | London hoping to host World Athletics Championships 2029 American Davis-Woodhall won the women's long jump by clearing 6.75m to beat compatriot Sydney Willits by .21m. 'I feel great,' Davis-Woodhall said. 'The wind was the most insane. The wind and me are not friends.' Jamaica's Zandrion Barnes won the men's 400 in 45.29 seconds, edging American Khaleb McRae by 0.09 of a second with Nigerian Chidi Okezie third in 45.46. Two Americans completed impressive doubles with Saturday triumphs. Vincent Ciattei, fourth at last year's US Olympic trials to barely miss a Paris berth, won the men's 1,500 in 3:39.49, edging countryman Damien Dilcher by half a second. Defending champion Ciattei won the US one-mile road title in 3:55 on Tuesday and completed a double he barely missed last year by winning the 1,500 in relaxed style. 'Really great start to the season,' Ciattei said. 'It feels good to close a race that strong. I really felt relaxed in the middle. I really tried to focus on staying relaxed at speed. That was my only goal going in. I feel like I executed.' Also pulling off a Drake double was American Krissy Gear, who won the US one-mile crown Tuesday in 4:24 and took the Drake Relays mile in a meet record. Fifty years to the day after the women's mile was last contested at Drake before a switch to the 1,500, Gear won the mile in 4:23.69 to beat the 50-year-old mark of 4:40.2 set by Francie Larrieu Smith in 1975. 'It's nice to come out on top,' Gear said. 'You're just racing. Who cares if it's 1,500m or a mile? I had a lot of fun.' American De'vion Wilson won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.46, 0.16 ahead of compatriot Jamal Britt, and said his season goals are to crack 13 seconds and make the worlds team. 'Felt pretty smooth,' Wilson said. 'Just focused on staying into the hurdles, being aggressive and it worked out.' Kazimierska wins 800 Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska, 10th at last year's Paris Olympics, won the women's 800 in 2:02.03 with American Mallory Lindaman second in 2:02.75. Zimbabwe's Ashley Miller edged Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados at the line to capture the women's 400 hurdles in 56.07 seconds, winning by .02 of a second with Puerto Rico's Grace Claxton third in 56.51. American Chris Robinson won the men's 400 hurdles in 48.92 seconds, beating compatriot James Smith II by .19 of a second. Nigerian Charles Godfred won the men's long jump on a leap of 8.13m with American Cameron Crump second at 8.07. Roger Steen won the men's shot put on his final attempt with an effort of 21.62m with fellow American Tripp Piperi second at 21.52.
France 24
26-04-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Olympic champs Russell, Davis-Woodhall win at Drake Relays
US star Russell won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.74 with a 1.4 m/sec tailwind with Bahamian Denisha Cartwright second in 12.93. "It felt good," Russell said. "It's a little windy so I was just glad to make it to the finish line first. I just wanted to stay tight, stay clean and get it over the last five (meters). "I'm just getting that groove back so we can bring that momentum into the US championships and the worlds." The meet's elite events were an early tuneup for September's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. American Davis-Woodhall won the women's long jump by clearing 6.75m to beat compatriot Sydney Willits by .21m. "I feel great," Davis-Woodhall said. "The wind was the most insane. The wind and me are not friends." Jamaica's Zandrion Barnes won the men's 400 in 45.29 seconds, edging American Khaleb McRae by 0.09 of a second with Nigerian Chidi Okezie third in 45.46. Two Americans completed impressive doubles with Saturday triumphs. Vincent Ciattei, fourth at last year's US Olympic trials to barely miss a Paris berth, won the men's 1,500 in 3:39.49, edging countryman Damien Dilcher by half a second. Defending champion Ciattei won the US one-mile road title in 3:55 on Tuesday and completed a double he barely missed last year by winning the 1,500 in relaxed style. "Really great start to the season," Ciattei said. "It feels good to close a race that strong. I really felt relaxed in the middle. I really tried to focus on staying relaxed at speed. That was my only goal going in. I feel like I executed." Also pulling off a Drake double was American Krissy Gear, who won the US one-mile crown Tuesday in 4:24 and took the Drake Relays mile in a meet record. Fifty years to the day after the women's mile was last contested at Drake before a switch to the 1,500, Gear won the mile in 4:23.69 to beat the 50-year-old mark of 4:40.2 set by Francie Larrieu Smith in 1975. "It's nice to come out on top," Gear said. "You're just racing. Who cares if it's 1,500m or a mile? I had a lot of fun." American De'vion Wilson won the men's 110 hurdles in 13.46, 0.16 ahead of compatriot Jamal Britt, and said his season goals are to crack 13 seconds and make the worlds team. "Felt pretty smooth," Wilson said. "Just focused on staying into the hurdles, being aggressive and it worked out." Kazimierska wins 800 Poland's Klaudia Kazimierska, 10th at last year's Paris Olympics, won the women's 800 in 2:02.03 with American Mallory Lindaman second in 2:02.75. Zimbabwe's Ashley Miller edged Tia-Adana Belle of Barbados at the line to capture the women's 400 hurdles in 56.07 seconds, winning by .02 of a second with Puerto Rico's Grace Claxton third in 56.51. American Chris Robinson won the men's 400 hurdles in 48.92 seconds, beating compatriot James Smith II by .19 of a second. Nigerian Charles Godfred won the men's long jump on a leap of 8.13m with American Cameron Crump second at 8.07. Roger Steen won the men's shot put on his final attempt with an effort of 21.62m with fellow American Tripp Piperi second at 21.52.
