Advertisement

Meet Tara Davis: Team USA's long jumper

  • <p>Tara Davis, second place in the Women's Long Jump Final, celebrates with her mother Rayshon and father Ty Davis on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)</p>
    1/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis, second place in the Women's Long Jump Final, celebrates with her mother Rayshon and father Ty Davis on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

  • <p>Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)</p>
    2/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    3/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

    Yahoo News is better in the app

    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA looks on during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    4/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA looks on during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    5/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA in action during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • <p>Tara Davis celebrates as she competes in the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</p>
    6/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis celebrates as she competes in the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

    Yahoo News is better in the app

    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Tara Davis of the USA, gold medal, Kaiza Karlen of Sweden, silver medal, and Maja Bedrac of Slovenia, bronze medal, celebrate on the podium after the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    7/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of the USA, gold medal, Kaiza Karlen of Sweden, silver medal, and Maja Bedrac of Slovenia, bronze medal, celebrate on the podium after the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA looks on following the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    8/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA looks on following the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    9/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

    Yahoo News is better in the app

    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    10/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • <p>Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)</p>
    11/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

  • <p>Tara Davis of the USA in action during the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    12/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of the USA in action during the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)

  • Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

    Yahoo News is better in the app

    Stay in the know at a glance with the Top 10 daily stories

  • <p>Brittney Reese (C), first, Tara Davis (L), second, and Quanesha Burks, third, celebrate on the podium after the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</p>
    13/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Brittney Reese (C), first, Tara Davis (L), second, and Quanesha Burks, third, celebrate on the podium after the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

  • <p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
    14/14

    Meet Tara Davis

    Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)

<p>Tara Davis, second place in the Women's Long Jump Final, celebrates with her mother Rayshon and father Ty Davis on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA looks on during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during qualifying for the women's long jump on day three of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 12, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis celebrates as she competes in the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of the USA, gold medal, Kaiza Karlen of Sweden, silver medal, and Maja Bedrac of Slovenia, bronze medal, celebrate on the podium after the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA looks on following the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA, Lea-Jasmin Riecke of Germany and Ayaka Kora of Japan celebrate after winning medals in the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of the Texas Longhorns celebrates after winning the long jump during the 2021 Division I Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at Hayward Field on June 10, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of the USA in action during the Girls Long Jump Final on day five of the IAAF World Youth Championships, Cali 2015 on July 19, 2015 at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium in Cali, Colombia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
<p>Brittney Reese (C), first, Tara Davis (L), second, and Quanesha Burks, third, celebrate on the podium after the Women's Long Jump Final on day nine of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials at Hayward Field on June 26, 2021 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)</p>
<p>Tara Davis of The USA in action during the final of the women's long jump on day four of The IAAF World U20 Championships on July 13, 2018 in Tampere, Finland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for IAAF)</p>
Yahoo Sports

Tara Davis, the reigning NCAA indoor and outdoor champion in the long jump and University of Texas alumna, is now 22 and hoping to bring home some hardware from the Tokyo Games during the track and field competition. The Japan National Stadium will be mostly empty due to COVID-19 protocols, so it’s unlikely chants of her name will erupt after she jumps into the sand pit. Yet Tara's father Ty, who coached Tara from 4 years old until she went to college, will be there.

At this year’s pandemic-stricken Games, having a family member in attendance is a luxury most athletes can’t enjoy. For Tara, it pays to have her dad as a coach. Because Ty is an accredited coach, he has been able to accompany her to Tokyo.

- Henry Bushnell, Yahoo Sports