Thea LaFond, a former MCPS teacher, graduate of John F. Kennedy High School and Silver Spring resident, automatically qualified for Saturday’s final in the women’s triple jump with a 14.35 meter jump in Friday’s qualifiers.
LaFond matched the exact qualifying standard for finals. All athletes who reach that standard, or at least the top 12 athletes, go to finals.
LaFond, also a former record-setting UMD athlete, won gold in the triple jump at the World Indoor Athletic Championships earlier this year with a first-round jump of 15.01 meters. She came to Paris as one of the favorites in the event.
The final will take place at 2:20 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Watch her Olympic journey:
