Brittney Reese

1.1. Birth and Childhood

Brittney Davon Reese was born on September 9, 1986, in Inglewood, California. At the age of three, she moved to Gulfport, Mississippi, which she considers her hometown. During her childhood, she attended Gulfport High School, graduating in 2004. While at Gulfport High, Reese distinguished herself as a multi-talented athlete, becoming the state champion in both the long jump and triple jump.

1.2. Education

Following her high school graduation, Reese continued her academic and athletic pursuits at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC). During her time at MGCCC, she was a member of the women's basketball team, showcasing her versatility beyond track and field. Her contributions to the college's sports programs were later recognized with her induction into the MGCCC Sports Hall of Fame. After MGCCC, Reese transferred to the University of Mississippi, where she continued to compete in track and field.

2.1. Collegiate Career

Reese's collegiate career was highly successful, particularly in the long jump. She competed for the Ole Miss track and field team. During her time as a student-athlete, she won the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the long jump in both 2007 and 2008, demonstrating her early dominance in the event.

2.2. Professional Career

Reese transitioned to professional athletics in June 2008. Her professional debut quickly led to significant achievements and established her as a top contender on the international stage.

In July 2008, at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, Reese set a personal best in the long jump of 23 ft ^{(6.95 m)}, securing her qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. At the Beijing Olympics, she had the best qualifying jump of 23 ft ^{(6.87 m)}. In the final, she placed fifth (later upgraded to fourth) with a jump of 22 ft ^{(6.76 m)}.

On May 24, 2009, in Belém, Brazil, Reese further improved her personal best to 23 ft ^{(7.06 m)}. This mark placed her third on the American all-time list, behind legendary long jumpers Marion Jones and Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Later that year, at the 2009 World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Germany, Reese won her first major international title, taking the long jump gold medal with a jump of 23 ft ^{(7.1 m)}. She notably defeated the defending champion, Tatyana Lebedeva, and became the third youngest champion in the history of the event. Her 23 ft ^{(7.1 m)} jump was the world's best performance in women's long jump for 2009.

In 2010, Reese continued her success by winning the gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar, with a jump of 22 ft ^{(6.7 m)}. She also achieved overall victory in the inaugural 2010 IAAF Diamond League, winning three events in Lausanne, Paris, and Zürich.

At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Reese successfully defended her long jump gold medal with a mark of 22 ft ^{(6.82 m)}. Notably, all her subsequent attempts after her winning jump were fouls, highlighting the importance of her first-round performance. She continued her dominance in the 2011 IAAF Diamond League, securing the overall title for the second consecutive year with four victories in Rome, Lausanne, Monaco, and Zürich. Her 24 ft ^{(7.19 m)} jump at the U.S. National Championships on June 26, 2011, was the world's best performance for women's long jump that year.

In March 2012, at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, Reese achieved a historic feat by winning her second consecutive indoor world title. Her final-round jump of 24 ft ^{(7.23 m)} was the longest indoor mark since 1989, setting a new American record and ranking her third on the all-time indoor lists. At the start of the outdoor season, she broke Carol Lewis's long-standing meet record at the Mt SAC Relays with a jump of 23 ft ^{(7.12 m)}.

Reese secured her third consecutive outdoor world title at the 2013 World Championships in Athletics in Moscow, Russia. Despite a challenging qualifying round where she barely advanced, she delivered a 23 ft ^{(7.01 m)} jump in the final, narrowly beating Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria by 0.8 in ^{(2 cm)}. This made her the first woman to win three consecutive long jump titles at the World Championships. Her 24 ft ^{(7.25 m)} jump in Doha, Qatar on May 10, 2013, was the world's best performance for women's long jump that year.

2.3. Olympic Participation

Brittney Reese has represented the United States in three Olympic Games, earning a medal in each appearance.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, Reese won her first Olympic gold medal. After qualifying with a jump of 22 ft ^{(6.57 m)}, she secured the gold in the final with a jump of 23 ft ^{(7.12 m)}. This victory made her the first American woman to win an Olympic long jump gold medal since Jackie Joyner-Kersee. Her 23 ft ^{(7.15 m)} jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 1, 2012, was the world's best performance for women's long jump that year.

She continued her Olympic success at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she earned a silver medal with a jump of 23 ft ^{(7.15 m)}.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan (held in 2021), Reese won her second consecutive Olympic silver medal, achieving a jump of 23 ft ^{(6.97 m)}. This marked her third consecutive Olympic medal, solidifying her status as one of the most consistent long jumpers in Olympic history.

2.4. World Championships Participation

Reese has an exceptional record at the World Athletics Championships, both outdoor and indoor, accumulating numerous gold and silver medals.

She won four gold medals at the World Outdoor Championships:

• 2009 Berlin: Gold, 23 ft ^{(7.1 m)}
• 2011 Daegu: Gold, 22 ft ^{(6.82 m)}
• 2013 Moscow: Gold, 23 ft ^{(7.01 m)}
• 2017 London: Gold, 23 ft ^{(7.02 m)}

She also achieved significant success at the World Indoor Championships:

• 2010 Doha: Gold, 22 ft ^{(6.7 m)}
• 2012 Istanbul: Gold, 24 ft ^{(7.23 m)} (American Record)
• 2016 Portland: Gold, 24 ft ^{(7.22 m)}
• 2018 Birmingham: Silver, 23 ft ^{(6.89 m)}

2.5. Personal Records and National Achievements

Brittney Reese holds several impressive personal records and national achievements in the long jump. Her outdoor personal best is 24 ft ^{(7.31 m)}, achieved on July 2, 2016, in Eugene, Oregon, which ranks her ninth on the all-time list for women's outdoor long jump. Her indoor personal best is 24 ft ^{(7.23 m)}, set on March 11, 2012, in Istanbul, Turkey, which is the current American record and the fourth best indoor mark of all time.

Other personal bests include:

• 100 meters (outdoor): 11.66 s, set on May 20, 2009, in Uberlândia, Brazil.
• 60 meters (indoor): 7.24 s, achieved on February 4, 2011, and February 3, 2012, in Saskatoon, Canada.
• High jump (indoor): 6.2 ft ^{(1.88 m)}, set on March 2, 2008, in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

2.6. Diamond League and Other Competitions

Reese has been a consistent performer in the Diamond League, a series of elite track and field meetings. She won the overall Diamond League title in the long jump in both 2010 and 2011. Her victories in various Diamond League meetings include Lausanne, Paris, and Zurich in 2010, and Rome, Lausanne, Monaco, and Zurich in 2011. In 2012, she also broke a long-standing meet record at the Mt SAC Relays with a jump of 23 ft ^{(7.12 m)}.