Olympic Trials Women’s Triple Jump — Familiar Top 3, New Champ

After 7 Keturah Orji USA wins 2016–’22 and Tori Franklin’s title last year, favored Jasmine Moore, triumphed. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

FAVORITES TO MAKE the team — Keturah Orji, Jasmine Moore and Tori Franklin led the qualifying and Moore led the field at 46-½ (14.03) with the wind barely over the limit at 2.1mps. Moore fouled her opening jump, overtaking Franklin in round 2, with Franklin reaching 45-5¾ (13.86) after an opening 45-1¾ (13.76), just ahead of Orji’s 45-1½ (13.75). Next best were Titiana Marsh (44-5¼/13.54) and Imani Oliver (44-½/13.42), with the cut-off at 42-11¾ (13.10) with Christina Wende edging Arianna Fisher on the basis of having a legal back-up jump.

Oliver set the target in the first round of the final with 45-5¾ (13.86), but was overtaken in turn by Orji (45-9/13.94), Moore (46-2/14.07) and Franklin (45-¼/13.72). Moore’s hop and step phases were impressive, but her jump was not, leading viewers to believe that a very long jump might be achieved if she could get all three phases correct.

Orji — winner of the last two Trials comps, including 2016’s when she was a Georgia soph — improved in the second round to an outdoor seasonal best of 46-6¼ (14.18). The order remained unchanged until the final round, with places 5 & 6 being taken by Xiamara Young equaling her PR of 44-4 (13.51) and Titiana Marsh rounding out the half dozen with 44-3¼ (13.49). In the final round Moore improved to 46-9½ (14.26), to which Orji responded with 46-8 (14.22).

Asked afterwards about her first round 14-meter-plus jump Moore said, “I just wanted to set the tone for the competition”, and added that she focused on an aggressive run-up for her last-round jump.

While none of the top 3 have reached the Olympic standard of 47-9 (14.55), each currently ranks within the top-15 of the World Athletics rankings. The June 18 listings show Orji 9th, Moore 12th and ’23 USATF titlist Franklin 13th. The rankings will be finalized early in July, and with up to the top-32 being eligible for Paris, all should make the trip to France.

Indications of how this event followed form are evidenced by the fact that no other U.S. jumpers’ names appear in the World top-50 list for the season.


WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS

FINAL (June 22; winds ranged from +2.0 to –1.1)

1. Jasmine Moore (Pum) 46-9½ (14.26)

(46-2, 45-6¼, f, 44-¾, 45-10½, 46-9½) (14.07, 13.87, f, 13.43, 13.98, 14.26);

2. Keturah Orji (Miz) 46-8 (14.22)

(45-9, 46-6¼, 44-7, f, f, 46-8) (13.94, 14.18, 13.59, f, f, 14.22);

3. Tori Franklin (Nik/NYAC) 45-¼ (13.72)

(45-¼, f, f, 43-3, 45-¼, 44-11½) (13.72, f, f, 13.18, 13.72, 13.70);

4. Imani Oliver (Tracksm) 44-11½ (13.70)

(44-5½, 44-11½, 44-6, 43-8, 43-10, 44-6¾) (13.55, 13.70, 13.56, 13.31, 13.36, 13.58);

5. Xiamara Young (SDi) 44-4 (13.51)

(40-5, 44-4, 43-¼, 42-10¼, 43-¼, 41-7¾) (12.32, 13.51, 13.11, 13.06, 13.11, 12.69);

6. Titiana Marsh (unat) 44-3¼ (13.49)

(43-3, 43-5¾, 43-7, 44-3¼, 43-3¾, 38-1½) (13.18, 13.25, 13.28, 13.49, 13.20, 11.62);

7. Euphenie Andre (Mo) 43-10¾ (13.38)

(f, 43-7, 42-9¾, 42-6¾, 43-10¾, 43-7¾) (f, 13.28, 13.05, 12.97, 13.38, 13.30);

8. Ryann Porter (Or) 43-6½ (13.27)

(42-6¾, 41-6½, 43-6½, 41-8½, 41-3¼, 42-3½) (12.97, 12.66, 13.27, 12.71, 12.58, 12.89);

9. Asherah Collins (UCF) 43-2½ (13.17); 10. Skylynn Townsend (TxHS) 42-9¾ (13.05); 11. Mylana Hearn (unat) 42-4 (12.90);… 3f—Christina Wende (unat).

QUALIFYING (June 21)

Qualifiers: Moore 46-½w (14.03), Franklin 45-5¾ (13.86), Orji 45-1½ (13.75), Marsh 44-5¼ (13.54), Oliver 44-½ (13.42), Hearn 43-11¼ (13.39), Collins 43-11¼ (13.39), Andre 43-5¾ (13.25), Porter 43-3 (13.18), Townsend 43-½ (13.12), Young 43-¼ (13.11), Wende 42-11¾ (13.10);

Non-qualifiers: Arianna Fisher (unat) 42-11¾ (13.10), Jonon Young (unat) 42-8¾ (13.02), Auna Childress (PittSt) 42-8w (13.00), Ashley McElmurry (Nb) 42-7 (12.98), Jaimie Robinson (unat) 42-6¾ (12.97), Danylle Kurywchak (unat) 42-6¾ (12.97), Kelly McKee (unat) 41-10¾ (12.77), Christina Warren (Mia) 41-8 (12.70), Rayven Nealey (Nv) 41-7¾ (12.69), Alexa Wandy (Tracksm) 41-6½ (12.66), Simone Johnson (Aub) 40-8¾ (12.41), Victoria Kadiri (JHop) 40-8¼ (12.40), Amy Warren (unat) 40-7 (12.37);… 3f—Alexis Ellis (CTGDev).