Four years after taking gold in the long jump, Brittney Reese was prevented from making it two straight by another American.
Tianna Bartoletta took gold in the women’s long jump with an event-best jump of 23 feet, 6 ¼ inches. Bartoletta’s gold medal-winning jump came on her fifth attempt of the evening, and it stood despite Reese’s best attempt to get into gold medal position. In addition to winning gold, Bartoletta’s gold medal-winning jump is the fifth best in American history.
WATCH: Bartoletta, Reese claim gold, silver in long jump
Reese’s final attempt of the night of 23 feet, 5 ½ inches was close, but not good enough to take the top spot. Taking bronze was Ivana Spanovic of Serbia with a best jump of 23 feet, 2 ¾ inches.
This is only the third time that a country has taken gold and silver in the women’s long jump, with Romania (1984) and Russia (2004) being the other nations to do so. The U.S. has now won three Olympic gold medals in the long jump, with Jackie Joyner-Kersee being the first to do so in 1988.