Team USA was the belle of the ball during the women’s long jump event at the Paris Olympics, earning two medals secured by Tara Davis-Woodhall and Jasmine Moore, who won gold and bronze, respectively, on Thursday. According to NPR, the occasion marked Davis-Woodhall’s first Olympic gold and Moore’s first medal in the long jump.
Davis-Woodhall is on a hot streak, winning the gold after winning a bronze in the women’s triple jump last week. It was Team USA’s first medal in the women’s event.
“Is this real? Am I dreaming?” Davis-Woodhall said after her gold-winning performance. “Pinch me. I’m so stoked. I’ve gone through hell and back, faced everything you can imagine. When I found out that I was jumping at 8pm on 8th of August, I knew it was perfect.”
Though she may make it look easy, Davis-Woodhall, who is married to Paralympic athlete Hunter Woodhall, has been open about her mental health and how manifestation helped her realize her dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist.
“I never let anything get me down. I tried so hard to just keep on being positive this year, keep on being motivated. That motivation turned into manifestation, and manifestation turned into reality, and the reality is I’m an Olympic gold medalist,” she told NPR.
Woodhall and Davis-Woodhall shared an emotional moment after her win, during which she ran into her husband’s arms, and the duo started screaming in excitement, For the Win reported.
Meanwhile, Moore is thrilled about earning her first Olympic medal.
“I’m in shock. This is not what I pictured, but it’s so much better,” she said.
It’s an extraordinary achievement for the athlete, who felt discouraged after the triple jump.
“Honestly, after the triple jump, not feeling the best, the qualification was a little tough. I was just tired the whole time. And my body just got better each and each day. I’m just so over the moon, so thankful,” NPR reported Moore said.
