Quanesha Burks competes in the women’s long jump finals during the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Eugene, Ore., on July 31.
Ashley Landis/The Associated Press
Hartselle, Hartselle High School, News, News Main, Sports
Quanesha Burks, a 2013 graduate of Hartselle High School, is headed back to the international stage after placing third in the women’s long jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials held in Eugene, Oregon, this past weekend. Her leap of 6.90 meters (22 feet, 7 ½ inches) marked a season’s best and secured her a spot on Team USA for the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month.
The upcoming trip to Tokyo will mark Burks’ seventh time representing the United States in international competition. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she narrowly missed advancing to the medal round. Burks posted a jump of 6.56 meters (approximately 21 feet, 6 inches), finishing 13th—just 0.04 meters, or about 2 inches, shy of the 12th and final qualifying spot.
Burks, in her senior year at Hartselle in 2013, won the Class 5A 60-meter dash, the triple jump and the long jump. She was an All-American at the University of Alabama after winning the long jump at the 2015 NCAA outdoor championships.
After a challenging year filled with adversity, Burks said her latest accomplishment is a testament to perseverance and faith.
“This year tested me in ways I never imagined — mentally, emotionally and spiritually,” Burks shared on Facebook. “There were moments I could have given up, but I didn’t. I bet on myself, I kept the faith, and I trusted God’s plan even when I couldn’t see the outcome.”
Now, with her ticket to Tokyo punched, Burks said her season is far from over. “God’s plan unfolding, I’m heading to the World Championships in Tokyo, making my 7th USA Team. This season isn’t done. It’s only just beginning.”
The World Athletics Championships will be held in Tokyo from Sept. 13–21.
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