The best U.S. track and field performances usually come at the Olympics or world championships. Jasmine Moore did it at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
Moore, a Tokyo Olympian and University of Florida junior, recorded the best triple jump by an American woman -- indoors or outdoors -- and then broke her new record later in the competition.
Moore triple jumped 15.08 meters and then 15.12 meters through the thin air of Albuquerque on Saturday, becoming the first U.S. woman to break the 15-meter barrier indoors or outdoors. Her five fair triple jumps were the five farthest indoor triple jumps in American history.
She also won Friday’s long jump with a collegiate indoor record 7.03-meter leap. Her results would have earned a silver medal in each event at last year’s world outdoor championships.
“Coach Nic [Petersen] and Coach [Mike] Holloway have been calling me 1-5-7 because they know the magic numbers are 15 meters and seven meters,” said Moore, who became the fourth woman to clear both barriers in a career (indoors or outdoors). “So, for me to break both of them this weekend, I’m just super emotional and very, very grateful.”
The previous U.S. indoor triple jump record of 14.64 meters was held by Tori Franklin, who last year earned bronze at the world outdoor championships, becoming the first U.S. woman to win an Olympic or outdoor world medal in the event.
Keturah Orji, who holds the outdoor U.S. record of 14.92 meters, owns the best U.S. Olympic finish of fourth place from 2016.
Moore, then 20, was 23rd at the Tokyo Games as the youngest U.S. Olympic female triple jumper in history, according to Olympedia.org. She was 13th at last year’s worlds in both the long jump and triple jump, missing each final by one spot.
She now ranks 17th on the world all-time triple jump list combining indoor and outdoor marks. Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas holds both world records -- 15.74 meters indoors and 15.67 indoors.
“Of course you watch Rojas do it, and it looks so easy,” Moore said of triple jumping 15 meters. “Of course, I was just like, OK, this is my goal one day. So for it to happen here, indoors, was just crazy. Twice.”
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ᴊᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ Qᴜᴇᴇɴ. 👑@Jasmineemoo of @GatorsTF won the women's triple jump with a 15.12 meter jump, breaking the collegiate record for the third time today.#NCAATF pic.twitter.com/DEjb0SON8U
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) March 12, 2023
