Davis-Woodhall leaps world-leading 7.20m in Los Angeles

USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall opened her 2026 long jump season with a statement performance at the USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix, leaping a world-leading 7.20m and a wind-assisted 7.25m at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting on Saturday (14).

The world and Olympic champion achieved her winning mark in the opening round, adding two centimetres to the PB she set indoors in February 2024 and improving on her previous outdoor best of 7.16m from that same year. The jump moved her to equal 19th on the world all-time list.

Davis-Woodhall backed it up with wind-assisted efforts of 7.09m, 7.25m and 7.14m, passed the fifth round, then ended her series with 6.85m — a mark that still would have been enough to win. Monae’ Nichols finished second with a wind-assisted 6.81m.

It continued Davis-Woodhall’s remarkable run of consistency in the event. Her last long jump defeat came at the 2023 World Championships, and she has now jumped beyond seven metres in 13 of her past 14 competitions.

Earlier in the day, Davis-Woodhall had smashed her lifetime best in the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.47. The only athlete to finish ahead of her was Olympic champion Masai Russell, who won in a meeting record of 12.26. World bronze medallist Grace Stark was third in 12.48.

Chaussinand breaks French record as Rogers’ streak ends

Yann Chaussinand produced the best throw of his life to win the men’s hammer, setting a meeting record and world lead of 82.44m.

The Frenchman improved Ethan Katzberg’s world lead by one centimetre and broke a national record that had stood for 26 years. Mykhaylo Kokhan took the early lead with 78.86m, while Chaussinand started his competition with two fouls before unleashing his record-breaking throw in the third round.

Kokhan also improved in that round, throwing 81.00m, before reaching 81.23m in round five and then a PB of 82.38m in the final round.

In the women’s hammer, Camryn Rogers’ winning streak came to an end as the world and Olympic champion finished fourth in another high-quality contest.

Brooke Andersen, the 2022 world champion, won with a season’s best and meeting record of 79.09m, while 2019 world champion DeAnna Price was second with a season’s best of 77.71m. Rachel Richeson completed a US sweep of the top three with 76.65m, finishing just ahead of Rogers, who threw 76.50m.

It was the first women’s hammer contest in history in which six women threw beyond 75 metres, while the best marks-for-place were set for fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh.

Jamal Britt finally broke through the 13-second barrier in the men’s 110m hurdles, winning in 12.99 (-0.1m/s).

Before this year, Britt had a PB of 13.07. He had equalled that mark four times this season, but in Los Angeles he improved by 0.08 and claimed victory over Trey Cunningham, who was second in 13.03, and world champion Cordell Tinch, who finished third in 13.15.

As it was the first time the discipline had been held at the meeting, Britt’s performance also stood as a meeting record.

Kenny Bednarek produced a dominant run in the men’s 100m, clocking a wind-assisted 9.72 (2.4m/s). With a slightly weaker wind, the world and Olympic 200m silver medallist would almost certainly have broken the meeting record (9.89), but he still took a convincing victory ahead of Christian Coleman, who ran 9.84, and Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, who clocked 9.88.

Home stars break meeting records

Two-time world champion Chase Jackson broke the women’s shot put meeting record in the first round, throwing 20.53m. Two-time world indoor champion Sarah Mitton produced her best mark in the final round, reaching 20.15m for second place.

Valarie Sion broke her own meeting record in the women’s discus in the opening round with 68.46m, then extended her lead to 69.15m in round five. She won by more than four metres from US compatriot Erika Beistle, who threw 65.02m.

Anna Cockrell also improved her own meeting record, winning the women’s 400m hurdles in 53.43. The Olympic silver medallist held off a strong challenge from former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad, who finished second in 53.65.

Gabrielle Jennings claimed a dominant win in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, breaking the meeting record with 9:11.72. After the pacemaker dropped out, Jennings broke away from the pack and extended her lead with each lap, winning by more than 11 seconds from Lexy Halladay, who clocked 9:22.89.

Elsewhere on the track, Aaliyah Butler won the women’s 400m in 49.90, finishing ahead of Nigeria’s Ella Onojuvwevwo, who clocked 50.25. 2025 world indoor champon Chris Bailey took the men’s event in 44.57, winning from Greece’s George Franks, who ran 45.21.

Sha’Carri Richardson won the women’s 100m in 10.99 (-0.2m/s), finishing ahead of Kayla White, who clocked 11.08.

In the men’s shot put, Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell threw 21.94m to beat Jordan Geist and Joe Kovacs, who both reached 21.76m.

Brandon Miller powered to victory in the men’s 800m. After the pacemaker dropped out, 2023 world 1500m champion Josh Kerr took up the running, but he was caught with 100 metres to go as Miller moved into the lead and pulled clear to win in 1:43.94. Kerr faded to fourth, behind Handal Roban, who ran 1:45.32, and 2019 world champion Donavan Brazier, who clocked 1:45.41.

Emily Mackay won the women’s 1500m in 3:59.27 from Katie Snowden, who ran 4:00.97. South Africa’s Tshepo Tshite held off a fast-finishing Cole Hocker to win the men’s 3000m, 7:37.57 to 7:37.77.