Aug. 29, 2011

IAAF: Reese - Walking in the footsteps of idol Joyner-Kersee

DAEGU, South Korea - Recent Ole Miss graduate Brittney Reese is a world champion, again.

On Sunday, Reese won her second straight world outdoor title with a long jump of 6.82 meters (22-04.50). She became the second woman in history to defend a world outdoor long jump, joining track and field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

Reese now owns three world long jump titles - 2009 outdoor (Berlin), 2010 indoor (Doha, Qatar) and 2011 outdoor (Daegu). She is also a four-time USA outdoor champion and two-time USA indoor champion.

This was a unique victory for Reese, who entered the meet as the current world leader with a career-best jump of 7.19 meters at the USA Championships. She jumped 6.82 in her very first attempt before faulting on the next five. The mark held up, though, as she became the first woman to win long jump gold at a world championship with just one jump.

"I have never won a competition with just one valid jump," Reese told an IAAF reporter. "It was my goal to open with a good jump so that the others would have to try to catch me. 6.82 was okay, but I really thought that seven meters would be necessary for the gold medal, because it was a very strong competition."

Reese, who placed fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing shortly after turning pro, has her sights set on London in 2012.

"I have got three World Championship medals so now my goal is to win an Olympic gold."

The former Rebel standout still trains with Ole Miss head coach Joe Walker. During her time in Oxford, Reese was the USTFCCCA Women's National Field Athlete of the Year after claiming the 2008 NCAA indoor and outdoor long jump championships. She was a five-time All-American, five-time SEC champion and three-time SEC Athlete of the Year in just two seasons at Ole Miss.