Before setting foot in Sweden for the Stockholm Diamond League on June 15, Tara Davis-Woodhall had competed only once this season—at the 115th Drake Relays in Iowa. Until then, she hadn’t traveled outside the U.S. to test her form against international rivals. But the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League marked a significant shift.

Traveling alongside her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, Tara made her Diamond League season debut at the historic Olympiastadion. It was her first-ever appearance in Stockholm, and she came into the event both excited and eager. What followed was a performance for the ages.

Tara wasted no time making her mark. On her very first attempt, she soared to 7.05m with a wind reading of +1.3—good enough for a meet record (MR), a season’s best, and the third-best jump in the world this year. She outperformed Italy’s Larissa Iapichino (6.90m), fellow American Jasmine Moore (6.76m), and even her longtime rival, Germany’s Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo (6.75m). The victory was emphatic. But for Tara, the moment carried more weight than just numbers on a results sheet.

In her post-meet interaction with the Wanda Diamond League, Tara was visibly emotional. “It’s so surreal to actually be here and then to win and tie the meet record. I’m just saying it’s insane. When I first actually walked in,” she said. “I got so emotional, yes, because I could feel the history behind the stadium. And if you look in the stands, there’s so much history.” 

That “history” wasn’t just about famous performances or past athletic glory. For Tara, it was about something deeper. “I mean, if you look it up, if you look up the stadium history, there’s so much like women couldn’t even be allowed in the stadium. Women couldn’t compete until like the 1960s, 1920s. I’ve got to remember what it said,” Tara added. “But yeah, just to be in the stadium as an African American woman as well. It’s just pretty insane.” Her reflections added a powerful layer to what was already a memorable win. However, despite once banning women from entering, the century-old stadium is now considered among the modern marvels. 

Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium has long stood as a model for similar venues around the world and has been a landmark since the early 20th century. Its grandstand—nestled between the iconic twin towers—has been fully renovated, the locker rooms modernized, and beneath it lies the expansive Torben Grut Hall, named after the architect who originally designed the stadium. Yet, despite the stadium’s rich history, Tara Davis-Woodhall’s appearance added a new layer of significance. Her performance wasn’t just iconic—it became a defining moment in the arena’s legacy. And beyond this meet, the 26-year-old is poised to continue playing a powerful role in advancing women’s participation in sports.

Tara Davis-Woodhall accepts the enormous responsibility to motivate women’s representation in sports 

In early June, Tara Davis-Woodhall added another bold chapter to her career—not on the runway, but in the boardroom. ATHLOS, the newly launched track and field league, officially named her as one of its founding athlete-owners. She joins sprint stars Sha’Carri Richardson and Gabby Thomas in a groundbreaking move that’s shifting the sport’s narrative.

According to the ATHLOS website, the league is “shifting gears, moving from a solo spotlight to team-centered showdowns where participating athletes will compete for teams, not just times.” It’s still high-octane track and field—but with a twist. Fans will now have teams to rally behind, bringing a fresh dynamic to the sport.

For now, Davis-Woodhall, Richardson, and Thomas will serve as advisor-owners, providing crucial input as the league continues to take shape. Their voices are helping shape the foundation of what aims to be a revolutionary era in track and field.

“Gabby, Sha’Carri, and Tara represent a new generation of athletes who have put this sport on their shoulders and deserve to be compensated for being the standard-bearers,” ATHLOS co-founder Alexis Ohanian told the Hartford Courant. “We were focused on bringing them into the League as founding owners to ensure we’re building a League that our athletes will love.” So, with this move, Tara isn’t just making headlines on the track—she’s helping build the future of the sport from the ground up.