Who can forget one of the most memorable moments from the 2024 Paris Games? An excited crowd of 75,000 track and field fans watched Tara Davis-Woodhall celebrate her maiden Olympic gold medal. The 25-year-old executed the perfect series of leaps to clinch the Olympic Long Jump Champion title on August 8. With her winning leap of 7.10 m, she became the fourth American to bag the coveted hardware in the event.

Like a true showman, she kept the audience going before each leap. The 25-year-old interacted with them, asking them to clap on beat. But as soon as she saw her name on the board, the Olympian flashed her pearly whites to the crowds before falling into the sandpit. However, she immediately returned to her feet to rush into her husband Hunter Woodhall’s arms. Nothing could top that moment for the duo. Yet, her impressive stint put her in the running for an incredibly prestigious honor. Unfortunately, the athlete missed out on it. What happened?

Tara Davis-Woodhall’s graciously accepts defeat

On October 14, World Athletics announced the World Athletes of the Year nominees. Amidst all the excitement this season, they picked five nominees for the Women’s and Men’s Field Athlete of the Year. However, only 2 finalists would have a shot at winning the award. While Tara Davis-Woodhall made it to the top 5, she didn’t move beyond that. The Olympian shared a post from the official WA Instagram account to her stories captioned, “We tried.” 

Even though she was dejected, she took the opportunity to congratulate Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Nafissatou Thiam for making it to the final round. “Buttt congrats to these incredible ladies who have done things I haven’t even touched yet.” Mahuchikh’s high jump of 2.10 m at Stade de France shattered Stefka Kostadinova’s long-standing record of 2.09 m from 1987. She also clinched her third consecutive Diamond League win this year. 

As for Nafissatou Thiam? She went on to clinch her third Olympic heptathlon gold at Stade de France, with a final score of 6,880. Not only did she hold onto her throne from 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo, but the Belgian is also the second woman to achieve this feat after Anita Wlodcarcyzk. However, she optimistically stated, “❤️ soon tho.” The 25-year-old broke the 7m barrier three times in six months, ending her 2024 season with three gold medals and a 100% win rate. Even though she wasn’t voted into the top 2, the Olympian recently underwent a bittersweet change. What is it? 

The Olympian and her husband moved states for a thrilling change

The Golden Couple had a dreamy Olympic and Paralympic stint in the City of Love. However, after enjoying some much-needed time off, the duo had a surprise announcement for their fans. On October 29, they posted a video on their YouTube channel about moving into their new house. What gives? The move is associated with an exciting professional reason. What could it be? 

Hunter Woodhall’s coach, Travis Geopfert, accepted the director of track and field and cross-country roles at Kansas State University. Understandably so, they decided to shift base to Manhattan, Kansas, to be with him. But here’s the kicker! Tara Davis-Woodhall will serve as an assistant coach under him.

This surprised many fans since they had lived in Arkansas for a considerable time. While following their athletic dreams, they also flipped houses on the side. As a result, apart from their incredible professional accolades, the couple has a stellar real estate portfolio as well. Shortly after their first mini vlog, they shared another video showcasing the process of their much-anticipated move.

Hunter and Tara Davis-Woodhall take fans through the lengthy process of packing and leaving behind all their memories. The duo even documented the long drive between their old and new house, which understandably included several pitstops. With so many exciting things lined up for the Olympian, the 2025 season looks as promising as ever.