Gulfport’s Brittney Reese cruises in first round of qualifying in Olympic Trials
Gulfport resident Brittney Reese earned a first-place finish in the first round of qualifying Thursday in the women’s long jump at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon.
Reese only needed to be in the top 12 to advance to Saturday’s final qualifying round, and she landed atop the leader board with her first attempt on Thursday — a jump of 6.86 meters.
The leap was her personal best of the season, and she didn’t need to bother with her with final two jumps.
Quanesha Burks finished second on Thursday with a leap of 6.81. Tiffany Flynn was third at 6.72.
Reese will look to secure a spot in the Olympics during the qualifying finals at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
You can watch Reese compete Saturday at NBCOlympics.com or on the NBC Sports app on your streaming device.
The 34-year-old Reese is hoping to earn a shot at her third Olympic medal after winning gold at the 2012 games in London and silver in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2016.
Reese is a 2004 graduate of Gulfport High School who also competed at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Ole Miss.
Reese is a seven-time world champion in the long jump.
This story was originally published June 24, 2021 at 3:46 PM.
