“I’m fresh. I’m fresher than I have ever been,” said Tara Davis-Woodhall ahead of her 2025 season. After battling injuries, the Paris Olympics gold medalist skipped most of the indoor season, admitting, “No indoor this season for me. Want to give my body a rest, and allow my heel to fully heal.” However, she made a strong comeback just before the USATF Championships, clinching victory at the Stockholm Diamond League with a 7.05m leap and dominating the Eugene Prefontaine Classic with 7.07m. Riding back-to-back wins, Woodhall stamped her ticket to the World Championships after hitting 7.12m on her fourth attempt at the USATF. She looks primed to conquer the world, but her rivals are just as eager to make their mark.

Taking to her X handle, Quanesha Burks expressed her optimism ahead of the worlds, “I feel soo ready and prepared for World Champs.. last time I felt like this was in 2022 World Champs.. so blessed and happy to be back with Coach Boo.” You might wonder why she drew comparisons to 2022. That’s because it was one of her finest seasons ever. She captured the U.S. Outdoor Championship in Eugene with a wind-aided 7.06 m—her personal best—finished 5th at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade (6.77 m), and narrowly missed the podium at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, landing 4th with 6.88 m.

That’s not all. She posted strong results on the European circuit, including podium finishes in Rome, Brussels, and Zürich. 2022 was a defining year for her, but what about 2025? Well, it’s going fine as of now. Burk’s 2025 season was a journey of steady improvement, leading to the biggest moment of her selection at the Worlds. She started her campaign this season back in April at the Draek Relays, opening with a 6.30m effort that placed her fourth, a setback for her; however, she was back on the fields just a month later. At the Adidas Atlanta City Games, she showed signs of form with a solid 6.80m, finishing third against a competitive field.

After testing her skills at the domestic front, she was ready to show her talents at the International stage, and it came in the shape of the Nike Prefontaine Classic, where she managed 6.42m, a performance that left room for growth as the championship season approached. After all of her performances, the athlete finally gave it all at the USATF Outdoor Championships. After an average start, Burks summoned her best when it mattered most, unleashing a season-best leap of 6.90m (22-7¾) to claim the bronze medal.

Her season may not have been as impressive as those of her competitors, Tara Davis-Woodhall and Claire Bryan, who secured the top two spots, but it was strong enough to earn her a World Championship ticket. While Davis-Woodhall still holds the edge in the sport, Burks remains a legitimate threat. However, is she worried? Well, as long as she manifests her victory, it’s fine for her, or at least that’s what she believes.

Hard work and manifestation are what Tara Davis-Woodhall believes in

At the USATF Championship, Tara Davis Woodhall faced a disaster after back-to-back fouls, which threatened her winning streak. Needling alifelines in the third round, she leaped 6.92m, delivering a big jump to stay alive in the game. Then came the statement: a world-leading 7.11m in her fourth attempt, followed by 7.12m to seal dominance and the best mark of the meet. Claire Bryant trailed in second with 6.97m. Her season has been going awesome, despite injuries; her back-to-back wins just tell us why she is considered the best in the world.

While having a conversation with ‘The Olympics.com,’ the Paris Olympics gold medalist revealed that, along with hard work, she believes that manifestation has helped her achieve greater heights as well: “I’m a big believer in manifestation, so I don’t know why I was seeing 8:08 for as long as I did.” She further added, “And then, to come to the realisation that I was competing on August 8th, which is 8.08, and then I jumped at 8:08 pm on my first attempt, and so it was a moment for me, and I think it was my moment to win. It was a moment to be in the right place at the right time.” Talking about her Olympic performance, Tara ascertained that her manifestation has been working well for her.

Well, it has been working for her so far, but can she completely rely on it? Certainly not, as there are athletes in the competition who will be looking to oust her. Now, with her sights set on the Tokyo Worlds, will she be able to perform better, or will the underdog, Quanesha Burks, repeat her 2022 performance? Only time will tell.