Tara Davis-Woodhall doesn’t lose long jump competitions; she hasn’t since 2023. Trenten Merrill, a two-time Paralympic bronze medalist, isn’t used to backing down from a challenge either. So, when the two squared off in a friendly 100m face-off, they turned a casual race into fun, must-watch content. Cameras rolling, trash talk flowing, the Olympic champion and the Paralympian constantly joked around. In fact, the banter never stopped in the short video posted, with both sides unleashing their best shots.

Among the exchanges, Davis-Woodhall jokingly called the Paralympic bronze medalist a “fat lard” after claiming she would “whoop his a**”. Merrill, to his credit, didn’t hold back either. He called out the 27-year-old for a false start and her brain not being in sync with her legs. The banter made the person filming the video call them “two little kids giggling,” which perfectly described the duo.

The distance, however, is usually what long jumpers do to warm themselves up, especially Davis-Woodhall. The reigning Olympic and world champion is, after all, also a world-class hurdler. She recently competed in the 100m hurdles at the 2026 USATF LA Grand Prix and finished second with a personal best of 12.47 seconds, losing to world-record chaser Masai Russell. Russell clocked 12.14 at the Xiamen Diamond League meet, putting her only behind Tobi Amusan (12.12) on the all-time list.

This does not come as a surprise, considering that the long-jump specialist was once an up-and-coming hurdles star before she switched disciplines. Now having all but conquered the long jump, Davis-Woodhall will use a rare season without an Olympic or World Championship to test things out.

Meanwhile, the recent appearance marks Merrill’s first time on the track in months. The 2024 World Champion bronze medalist has been training regularly, and his social media is proof. However, the Paralympian hasn’t competed in a meet since 2024.

According to World Athletics’ official website, his last competition was in 2024 at the Beach Invitational. Since then, Merrill has been focused on his off-track activities, most recently set to star in The Bachelorette.

Meanwhile, Davis-Woodhall has hardly had time to slow down. Instead, she’s been balancing her competitive season with several high-profile appearances away from the runway. One of those has seen the Olympic champion take on a leading role in a brand-new athletics competition later this year.

Tara Davis-Woodhall named Ultimate Star for Ultimate Championship

Davis-Woodhall proved during her collegiate competition days that she was one of the best long jumpers around, alongside one of the fastest sprinters, when she set national and California state records as a 100m hurdler. While she has competed in the 100m hurdles since 2021, that all changed recently in Los Angeles. In fact, her Instagram page regularly shows her practising hurdles, even asking Masai Russell for advice.

Her platform, combined with her pedigree, has earned her the title of Ultimate Star for the first World Athletics Ultimate Championship. Davis-Woodhall and Noah Lyles became the first two athletes on that list, with World Athletics President Sebastian Coe praising Davis-Woodhall (credit: WorldAthletics.org).

“Tara Davis-Woodhall has mastered the balancing act of being one of the best in the world in the long jump and sharing her authentic story with audiences using her own voice.

She has an extraordinary ability to leverage her platforms to create fandom all while pursuing excellence in athletics. We are proud to partner with her as part of the Ultimate Championship, which at its core is designed to showcase our athletes as the multi-dimensional stars they are.”

With new ventures like the Ultimate Championship on the horizon, Davis-Woodhall continues to grow her profile without taking her focus off the track.