2024 Games: FSU's Jeremiah Davis preparing his long jump talents to tackle Paris Olympics

One jump changed the trajectory of Jeremiah Davis’ life. In a few weeks, one more could cement his legacy as one of the greatest athletes ever from Southwest Florida.

Not a month has passed since Davis, a 2019 Lehigh Senior High School graduate, won the long jump at the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials with a leap of 8.20 meters putting him on a direct path to the Paris Games.

Since then, the Florida State junior’s gotten a crash course in athletic stardom, juggling a daily planner suddenly filled with media interviews and countless congratulatory messages while still maintaining an intense training regimen.

“It’s been hectic, but it’s been fun, honestly,” the 22-year-old Davis said. “Mostly what I‘ve been hearing is how proud everybody is of me. And that’s something that I like to hear, that I’m actually making people proud. That’s one of the biggest things that I wanted to have happen.”

Davis started harboring Olympic dreams since capturing his first Junior Olympic title as a youth growing up in Lehigh Acres. Those intensified at Lehigh Senior High School when he capped off his varsity career with state championships in the long jump and triple jump in 2019. Still, even after his gold-medal-winning performance at the Olympic Trials, the biggest meet of his career, Davis said he continues to have moments when he can’t quite believe he’s really headed to Paris.

Even after his winning performance at the Trials, Davis still had to wait nearly two weeks before his name officially appeared on the Team USA Track and Field squad. Because his jump didn’t meet the Olympic qualifying standard of 8.27 meters, Davis needed to rank among the top 25 long jumpers in the world to punch his ticket to the Games. When the finalized World Athletic Rankings were released on July 9, Davis was No. 23, securing his spot .

“I wasn’t really stressing too much because I knew where I was sitting with the world ranking, but actually getting that confirmation just made it that much more real,” said Davis, who celebrated by getting a permanent reminder of his accomplishment: a tattoo of the Olympic rings on his left bicep.

It’s been an amazing season for Davis, who overcame a hamstring injury to win both the long jump and triple jump at the ACC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in May . Then it was a case of turf toe, which forced him to wear a boot anytime he wasn’t competing.

Despite the pain, Davis qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and led the long jump before getting passed with five rounds to go, earning his second career runner-up finish in the event.

Davis’ tenacity didn’t surprise longtime FSU track and field head coach Bob Braman.

“JJ is a fantastic competitor,” said Braman, who retired in late May after 21 seasons with the Seminoles. “He always believes he’s going to jump far, regardless of circumstances.”

A month later, following his gold-medal effort at the Olympic Trials, Davis told Braham he’d fulfilled the coach’s spring prediction.

“He said to me, ‘Coach, you were right when you said I was going from the boot to Paris,” Braman said.

For the past few weeks, Davis has been working out at FSU with Leevan Sands, the Seminoles’ assistant jumps coach. Sands represented the Bahamas at the Olympics four times, winning a bronze medal in the triple jump at the 2008 Olympic Games.

Davis said he’s relied on Sands for a sneak preview of what the Olympics will be like.

“He said walking into the stadium, hearing the crowd, it’s just like a feeling you can’t truly describe,” Davis said. “And I can’t wait to experience that.

“I think I’m going to be excited and my hands and probably going to be shaking, not from nerves but just from the atmosphere and just living in that moment.”

Davis said he’s leaving for Paris on July 24 from Atlanta with a contingent of Team USA athletes. He’ll arrive the next morning and have a day to acclimate before the Opening Ceremonies on July 26. The men’s long jump competition begins a week later on Aug. 4 where Davis will have four members of his family cheering him on at the Stade de France: his father Jerry, mother Sylvia, and older sisters Laquacy and Kevonshae.

Davis said his goal in Paris is to become an Olympic medalist, whether that’s gold, silver or bronze. While it’ll be the biggest stage he’s competed on by a mile, Davis said he’ll rely on the approach he’s used to succeed at other high-pressure competitions.

“Honestly, it’s just about keeping everything the same,” he said. “I know it’s hard to say that but I feel like I’ve drilled myself over the past three years not to get caught up in the moment. I know how to keep myself relaxed and be able to have fun and not have any negative thoughts or anything like that.”

While Davis hopes this is just the first of multiple trips to the Olympics, he knows that the future is not guaranteed. For that reason, he said he wants to experience everything the Paris Games has to offer.

“I just want to relish every moment and be present and enjoy all the vibes and activities that are going on,” he said. “I’m ready for all of it.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: 2024 Games: FSU's Jeremiah Davis preparing his long jump talents to tackle Paris Olympics