by Larry Eder
Tokyo 2025 Preview, #18: Tara Davis-Woodhall will battle Malaika Mihambo in the Women’s Long Jump in Tokyo
The NIKE Pre Classic pressers have always been an interesting occasion to speak with the finest athletes in our sport. I recall, way back around 2011, that a NIKE sports marketing executive asked if I would mind interviewing Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Shelly Ann had won big time in 2008 Beijing and 2009 Berlin. Her 2011 season was going pretty quietly. So I spent a few minutes talking with Shelly Ann, enjoying her sense of humor, her obvious enjoyment of the sport, and that day, she told me she would race herself into shape. SAFP sure did that in 2011.
Each year always had someone that would stick out, sometimes more than that!
2025 was the 50th anniversary of the NIKE Pre Classic.
Tara Davis-Woodhall, Olympic champion in Paris 2024, Malaika Mihambo, Tokyo 2021 Champ, European Champ, World Champ, in the long jump.
It was like two boxers sitting next to each other.
In the competition, Malaika Mihambo was the first to get over seven meters. Tara Davis-Woodhall, as is her want, had some foul trouble, but, also, as is her want, she cleared 6.89 meters, then, 7.11 meters to take the lead and finally, a 7.12 meters to win by a large margin!
Maliaka Mihambo, the German champion, was not a happy camper!
Both of these fine athletes are highly competitive. Their rivalry makes the long jump that more exciting!
Tara Davis-Woodhall seems to get herself in trouble in the foul territory in many of her recent long jump competitions. She does deliver, and then, once a safe jump is recorded, seems to relax and let the big jumps come. At the Pre Classic, Tara Davis-Woodhall noted that she would like a LJ world record.
In the qualifying of the Tokyo Long Jump, Tara Davis-Woodhall used only one jump, 6.88m, to have an auto qualifier on Saturday night, Tokyo time. Malaika Mihambo, GER, qualified with a 6.62m leap. Claire Bryant, USA, World Indoor Champ, leaped 6.72m and Quanesha Burke moved on at 6.63m.
Tara Davis-Woodhall had this to say in the Mixed Zone: “Being back in Tokyo is awesome. The stadium is full today on the first day. With my husband (Paralympian Hunter Woodhall), we are a team, we are a partnership, two best friends. It”s awesome to have him here in the stands. Training is hard work but you have to have fun while you work. That”s the beauty of the sport. You”ve got to have fun with it. I feel no pressure. The pressure was on winning gold in Paris. Now that I did that, we can have fun. I am doing this for myself, my family, the young black boys and girls. My family has some secret trip planned but I do not where.”
Big casualties are European champ Larissa Iapichino, ITA, who just missed the cut-off and Jazmin Sawyer, GBR who did not move on.
Malaika MIhambo, GER, in thinking about her performance in the qualifying, Malaika knows she must improve for the final! “It was okay, but many small things didn”t fit together today. I started a bit reserved, then I was too far away. On the second attempt, an athlete ran into me approaching the pit and hindered me. I was too far away in the end. On the last one I had a very good start but just went overboard. Tomorrow the cards will be reshuffled and I”m actually feeling as good as I have all season. I am rested and fit, so let”s see what happens. I had the image in my mind of my jumps from back then (at the Tokyo Olympics). I think we were even jumping in the same direction. I can pick up these images well for my mental training. But ultimately, my success from 2021 doesn”t help now because every year, every day, the cards are shuffled anew.”
The women’s Long Jump final, will be exciting ! Do not miss it on September 14, 2025 at 8:40 PM local time!
