Bria Matthews one step closer to Olympic berth

Georgia Tech’s Bria Matthews will compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team Thursday. Matthews, a rising sophomore who is the school record holder in the long jump and triple jump, advanced to the finals of the triple jump at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., on Monday.

On her last of three jumps, Matthews hit 13.48 meters (44’2 ¾”) to squeeze into the top 12 by four inches.

To finish in the top three, Matthews will likely need to exceed her personal best by a considerable margin.

The No. 3 finisher in qualifying had a best jump of 14.02 (46’8”), which Is almost a foot longer than Matthews’ personal best (13.73 meters, or 45’ ½”). Marks in qualifiers do not carry over to the finals.

The Thursday competition will begin at 9:30 p.m. EDT. It will be broadcast on NBC Sports Network and streamed online on the USA Track and Field website.

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