Burks adds outdoor long jump title to her 2022 resume
Quanesha Burks wins 2022 USATF outdoor long jump title, jumping 7.06m (23-2) at Hayward Field. Photo by Bee Trofort-Wilson
By Cassie Cole
The women’s long jump final was all about enjoying the event, as told by its top finishers. The competition was one of three finals on Day One of the Toyota USATF Championships at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Back to Back Championships
Quanesha Burks placed first in the long jump with a wind-aided jump of 7.06m (23-2). She is now the 2022 indoor and outdoor U.S. champion in the long jump.
Burks finished third at the Olympic Trials in 2021 and represented Team USA in Tokyo last year. After competing on the world stage, Burks felt pressured to continue performing at her best.
“You have this unnecessary pressure like you want to be on top always,” said Burks. “I was struggling at first because I felt like I have to jump seven meters, I have to jump this every single meet, I have to be number one in the world.” She explained that the pressure to live up to her title of Olympian was initially difficult to combat this year.
Despite addressing the pressure as a “mental battle,” Burks felt a lot more confident with her mental state coming into the competition Thursday. “I’m so happy I was able to come in and not get so worked up in the expectations of others, but more be happy for myself,” she said.
Burks had one goal coming into the competition: “Being in the moment, be present, don’t worry about the results.” She didn’t have to worry about the results, as her first and winning jump put her well in the lead ahead of her competitors.
Although Burks has attended a U.S. championship before, her family has not. The USATF Championship is the first time that Burks’ family has been able to see her compete in a U.S. championship competition, and both she and her family have loved the experience.
"It was so special and I really wanted to win it for them,” said Burks. She hopes that her family will be able to attend the World Championships at Hayward Field as well.
Moore Jumps Twice
Florida’s Jasmine Moore was also all about stress-free competition this week. The college sophomore finished second in the long jump at 6.80m (22-3.75), which isn’t even her main focus at the championships.
“Long jump is moving up there, but triple jump is like my baby,” said Moore. She’ll be competing in the women’s triple jump final on Saturday and is coming off indoor and outdoor NCAA titles in both events this year.
“At least, you know, you’ve made it in one so just go out there and give it your best in triple jump,” said Moore, who is feeling more prepared for the triple jump knowing that she has a spot on the Worlds team this summer. She wasn’t stressed in the long jump competition either, however.
“I definitely had a lot less pressure on myself,” Moore said. “I had nothing to lose with this event.” Moore’s best jump was her first, which she explained gave her confidence in continuing the competition and reducing pressure on her performance.
Moore hopes to finish in the top three for the triple jump competition this weekend as well but isn’t yet sure if she would compete in both events at Worlds if given the opportunity.
“I kind of want to do whichever one has the best chance to make it to finals,” she said.