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USA's Tianna Bartoletta soars to gold in long jump

RIO DE JANEIRO — Tianna Bartoletta leaped a personal-best 7.17 meters (23 feet, 6 1/4 inches) on Wednesday at Olympic Stadium to win the women's long jump.

Long jump gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta. (Photo: Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports)

RIO DE JANEIRO — Tianna Bartoletta leaped a personal-best 7.17 meters (23 feet, 6 1/4 inches) on Wednesday at Olympic Stadium to win the women's long jump.

In the process she upset the reigning champion and fellow American Brittney Reese.

Bartoletta came through on her fifth attempt, just after Reese had taken the lead with her fifth jump. On her final jump, Reese leaped 7.15, just short of the mark. Reese was trying to become the first to repeat as gold medalist in the women's long jump.

"For Tianna to go out and throw up a big jump is really good and it just shows how dominant the USA is in jumps," Reese said. Tianna just outjumped me this time. She deserves it and I'm just glad to be on the podium again."

As to whether she was disappointed that she did not repeat as Olympic champ: "I'm not disappointed at all. I've been through a lot these past two years, emotionally and physically, battling back from surgery."

Bartoletta adds an Olympic gold medal to her two world championships gold medals. Bartoletta also was part of the USA's world record-setting 4x100 relay in the 2012 Games, running the leadoff leg.

Spanovic, bronze medalist at the last two world championships, won the Olympic bronze with a Serbian national record of 7.08.

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