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The University of Mississippi Athletics
From Gulfport To Beijing; Reese Enjoys Experience At Olympics
9/2/2008 | Track and Field
By Jay D’Abramo
Ole Miss Athletics Media Relations
Little did Brittney Reese know that her journey to the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Reese, a sprinter and high jumper at
By the time she finished high school, Reese had leaped as far as 20-08.00 and was just three inches short of the national high school record. Despite not breaking the high school record, Reese still owned the longest jump in the nation that year and fielded scholarship offers from all over the country.
Still unsure of exactly what route she wanted to take after high school, Reese opted to enroll at
Ole Miss head coach Joe Walker and the rest of his staff never lost sight of Reese and continued to pursue her with hopes of her beginning her collegiate track and field career with the Rebels. After several long discussions with her mother about her future, Reese opted to forgo her basketball aspirations and head north to
“It was a tough decision for me because basketball is my first love,” Reese said. “Basically my mom told me that if I really wanted to make it, then I needed to give up basketball and go to Ole Miss and compete in track and field.”
Two NCAA Championships, four SEC Championships and two MidEast Regional Championships later, it is clear that Carla Reese knew exactly what was best for her daughter. In fact, Reese put together one of the greatest seasons in school history on her to way to earning a spot on the United State Olympic Team.
After a 2008 season that saw Reese capture 13 straight individual titles in the long jump, she entered the U.S. Olympic Trials needing to finish in the top three in order to earn a spot on the team. Reese, who possesses an intangible ability to thrive in the biggest situations, continued that trend by finishing first at the Olympic Trials with a personal best and school record leap of 22-09.75.
“Brittney showed exactly what type of competitor she is with her performance at the trials,” head coach Joe Walker said. “It really just shows how much talent and determination she has along with the type of character she has.”
Reese spent the next few weeks training with
Her dream of competing in the Olympic Games was finally in front of her as she boarded the plane in preparation for a 16-hour flight that would lead her to one of the biggest stages in sports. Reese vividly recalls landing in
“”We have a lot of casinos in Gulfport that kind of make the city look bigger, but Beijing was totally different,” Reese said. “There were thousands and thousands of people walking around everywhere, and it was like nothing I was used to because I have never really been to any big cities.”
After adjusting to her new surroundings, Reese arrived at the Olympic Village where she would live for the next two weeks with her roommate Shana Marks, the
“The Olympic Village is kind of like dorms you would see on a college campus,” Reese said. “We were surrounded by nail shops, hair shops, phone stores, and all different kinds of stores around the area. “They also had all kinds of food for us, but I stuck to American food like McDonald’s because I didn’t want to take any chances with any other foods. They also had buffets for us and I usually ate steak and mashed potatoes or pizza.”
Reese finally got her first taste of the Olympic Games Aug. 8 by taking part in the opening ceremonies, living an experience that most can only dream of.
“The opening ceremonies are probably what I will remember most about being in the Olympics, but it was very tiring,” Reese said. “We started about five in the afternoon and didn’t get finished until around one in the morning. First we went to a holding area where I got to meet and take pictures with President Bush and George Bush, Sr. After that, we went to another holding area for about an hour before we actually got to walk. It was a lot of fun, but it was really hot and we had to stand up for a long time.”
With the luxury of not having to compete for 11 days, Reese used that week and a half to take part in daily workouts with
“I saw both the men’s and women’s basketball teams play and I got a chance to meet some of the athletes as well,” Reese said. “I talked to Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony and you could tell they were having a good time just like the rest of us. I also met some of the gymnastic team members and some of the swimmers, but I didn’t get to meet Michael Phelps.”
The anticipation was over days later as Reese became the first female track and field athlete in school history to compete in the Olympic Games. As she had done all season for the Rebels, Reese failed to disappoint as she won the qualifying round with a distance of 22-06.50 to advance into the finals.
“The track was real fast and I wasn’t expecting to win the qualifying round,” Reese said. “Everyone was scratching on their first jump and I did the same on mine. I had to move it back some for my second jump and I was right on the board and I hit a big one. I felt like I was in good position to win a medal after I advanced, but I knew the other finalists were really good too.”
In the finals, Reese jumped 22-02.25 and earned a fifth place finish and was the top American finisher in the long jump despite not winning a medal.
“I was disappointed at first about finishing fifth overall, but I feel really good about it now,” Reese said. “As I got to thinking about more, it made me feel even better to know that I am the top American long jumper in the world.”
“I was extremely proud of the season Brittney had,”
Reese’s quest for an Olympic medal will keep her in
