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Leaping into the record books: How this UF Track star made history at Olympic Trials

gatorsports.com 2 days ago

Jasmine Moore, a seven time national champion for Florida from 2022-23, made history this past weekend at Olympic Trials. How did she do it?

A spot in the Summer Olympics is a task that most athletes spend a lifetime working to achieve.

Every four years a select few make the trip to the Games. In the U.S., the percentage that do is even smaller.

Yet, one Florida Gator alum will head to Paris this summer in not one, but two events.

Jasmine Moore earned spots last week at U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials in the long jump and triple jump.

Moore became the first American women to clinch Olympic bids in both field events.

Here's what to know:

What is Jasmine Moore's connection to the Florida Gators?

Moore, a native of Grand Prairie, Texas, began her college career at Florida's archrival, Georgia.

The 23-year-old experienced some success with the Bulldogs. She won in triple jump at the 2021 SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships. This gave her the qualifying standard for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

After a third place finish at Trials in 2021, she came in 23rd at the Olympics.

Moore, though, wanted to take her career to the next level, so she transferred to Mike Holloway and Florida.

In Gainesville, she became a champion and embarked on a magical win streak. Moore came in first in long and triple jump at every Indoor and Outdoor National and SEC Championship she participated in during her two years at Florida.

The streak only ended when she came in third in the long jump at 2023 National Championship.

Moore left Florida after the 2023 season, but not before she set the North American triple jump record at 15.12 meters (49-feet, 6 inches).

How did Moore earn spots in both events at the Paris Olympics

She first competed in the triple jump last Sunday at Olympic Trials. Moore was in second for much of the competition before her final jump lifted her into first.

Moore hung around in Eugene for another six days and awaited the long jump.

Unlike Sunday, Moore held the lead for a time, but she was eventually surpassed by Tara Davis-Woodhall.

Moore ended in second, but since she had already reached the Olympic Qualifying Standard, she clinched a bid to Paris.

This served as Moore's second history-making exercise. She earned spots in both events at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, becoming the first American woman to do so.

She finished in 13th place in both events.

All Olympic Track and Field events will be held at the Stade de France in the Paris commune of Saint-Denis.

The women's triple jump final is set for 2:20 p.m. ET on Saturday, August 3rd, and the women's long jump final is set for 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 8.

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