Tara Davis-Woodhall has laid down the marker in an Olympic year. The 24-year-old American is the only woman to breach the 7m mark this year, a whopping 0.23m ahead of her closest rival. The athlete was all smiles after her indoors (length of the jump) jump for gold, but a concerning new update could pour water on the hopes of American fans hoping to see Woodhall atop the podium in Paris. What may have been a sure thing, may not be so now, leading to fans potentially believing this clears the field for the likes of 2020 Tokyo Gold medalist Malaika Mihambo.

Woodhall’s Instagram story post revealed she is in Austin and undergoing some checkups due to an Achilles issue and an allergic reaction. She wrote, “In austin seeing my doc. about to be so real rn… so this past week has been so tough. Developed a slight injury in my achilles on top of had a severe allergic reaction to some ingredients in a protein drink I was consuming.” It may have led to fears about her participation in France; the athlete, though, remains optimistic as she also shared a positive update on the situation. 

“the allergic reaction caused some of my muscles to “fuse” how??? idk i don’t like to question things. But i’m seeing doc and things are already feeling better. Love you guys so much. Journey doesn’t stop here,” the story further read.

The timing of the injury, close to the Paris Olympics, adds an element of uncertainty and tension among her fans for Davis’s situation. But any thoughts of the Germany’s Malaika Mihambo having it easy in Paris can be put to rest after Woodhall assured her fans not to worry in her next story.

Woodhall posted a story of her in a hyperbaric chamber with the caption, “I did a bunch of treatment ended with the hyperbaric chamber most fanciest hyperbaric chamber ever.”

Even though she is positive about a swift recovery, the slight Achilles injury could be a risk given the nature of her sport. Ankle injuries are commonplace in athletics as the athletes are often exposed to ground-reaction forces on the takeoff leg that are several times their body weight. Thus even a minor injury can be aggravated and Woodhall will hope that is not the case with the Paris Olympics not far away.

This year Woodhall has been the only athlete to cross the seven-meter mark- the mark that has been the standard this century for winning Olympic medals. She achieved this feat at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and has set herself up as the prime contender for Olympic glory. Hence, Team USA could be in for a tougher challenge in case, Woodhall is carrying an injury into Paris.

Malaika Mihambo who soared to 6.95 meters during the indoor season at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Berlin earlier this year, will pose a threat. Serbia’s Ivan Vuleta who jumped to a personal best 7.14 at the Budapest last year to win her first long jump gold will be in contention as well. For the U.S., in case Woodhall is unable to compete at her best, they can still bank on Florida’s Jasmine Moore, who leaped to a 6.93 meters indoors in Albuquerque in February. Quanesha Burks is another name that can shine for the U.S. in Paris.

Although Woodhall is already recovering well, her battle with adversities isn’t something new.

“People wished I’d failed”, Tara Davis-Woodhall earned redemption after overcoming depression

At Agoura High School, Davis-Woodhall set the U.S. Junior national high school long jump records indoors and even won a World Youth title outdoors. Everyone assumed that she would repeat such performances when she graduated to the University of Georgia, but things turned upside down soon.

Injuries hampered her growth. She was trolled on social media and was even considered a washed-up has-been. She was also estranged from her coach, who Woodhall said wrote her off before she moved to Texas. But after being on the verge of walking away from the sport and struggling emotionally and physically, she showcased her resilience at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in 2021.

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Woodhall took off and scored 6.93 meters, a new collegiate record, and let out a scream after the win. Speaking afterward, she said, “It was definitely just more than the 22-9 jump. It was me being injured. It was me reading comments that I was a failure or people wished I’d failed. It was being blocked from competing by my old university. It was everything combined. When I screamed I just let out this intense roar of I’m finally back.”

As the Paris Olympics draws nearer, all eyes will be on Davis-Woodhall, as her fans hope she can channel the same energy and script more history.