WATCH: Tara Davis-Woodhall wins women's long jump, makes 'sand angel' to celebrate at Paris Olympics
AUSTIN (KXAN) — After her final jump at the Paris Olympics, Tara Davis-Woodhall turned to the crowd at Stade de France, and overcome with emotion, did what any person would do.
She fell backward into the sand pit and made a "sand angel."
Davis-Woodhall sailed 7.10 meters (23 feet, 3 1/2 inches) on her fourth attempt to claim her first gold medal. Following the moment of fun in the pit, she ran over to her husband, Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, and they embraced in the grandstands.
She was the only competitor to set a mark over seven meters, and she did it twice during her series. She hit 7.05 with her second jump but had a few centimeters to spare on the board when she took off. On her winning jump, she hit the board almost perfectly about four centimeters from the front, allowing her to sail through the air in front of a packed stadium of about 75,000.
She finished sixth at the 2020 Tokyo Games and won the silver medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Davis-Woodhall attended the University of Texas at Austin from 2019-2021 and set a collegiate record in the event at the 2021 Texas Relays with a jump of 7.14 meters.
Ackelia Smith, a junior for the Longhorns, placed eighth with a mark of 6.66 meters. Her best jump came on her first attempt.
American Jasmine Moore jumped 6.96 meters to claim bronze while Germany's Malaika Mihambo won silver with a 6.98.