Walter Davis
- Born
- Jul 2, 1979 (47 years old)
- Birthplace
- Lafayette, United States
- Events
- Triple Jump · Long Jump
- Height
- 1.88 m
- Weight
- 83 kg
Walter Davis is an American triple jumper born on July 2, 1979, in Lafayette, Louisiana. Standing 188 cm tall and weighing 83 kg, he became a world champion in both outdoor and indoor competition.
Davis won the 2005 World Outdoor Championships and the 2006 World Indoor Championships in the triple jump. At the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials, he produced an extraordinary jump where he lost control during landing, with his foot hitting the sand far behind his body. The official measurement from first contact was 17.63 meters, though video analysis suggested the jump extended to at least 18 meters at his body's landing point. He competed for Louisiana State University during his collegiate career.
Davis's career was interrupted by anti-doping violations. From July 2012 to 2013, he missed three mandatory drug tests, resulting in a one-year ban from competition. Despite this setback, his world championship victories established him as one of America's premier triple jumpers of his generation.
As of Oct 27, 2026: Triple Jump 17.71 (#31 all-time), Long Jump 8.36 (#91 all-time), 2012 season best 16.85 (May 12, 2012, Ponce (PUR)) · World Championships: 1 gold, 1 bronze · 47 years old
Personal bests
WA points calculator →* Wind-assisted (> 2.0 m/s)
Medals
| Competitions | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
Progression
| Season | Discipline | Result | Wind | Date | Competitions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | LJ | 7.18 | +0.4 | Jun 9, 2012 | New York adidas Grand Prix, Icahn Stadium, New York, NY - Diamond Discipline |
| 2012 | TJ | 16.85 | +1.3 | May 12, 2012 | Ponce (PUR) |
| 2011 | TJ | 17.02 | +1.4 | Jun 23, 2011 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) |
| 2010 | LJ | 7.30 | – | Feb 7, 2010 | – |
| 2010 | LJ Indoor | 7.30 | – | Feb 7, 2010 | Moskva (RUS) (i) |
| 2010 | TJ | 16.99 | – | Jan 23, 2010 | – |
| 2010 | TJ Indoor | 16.99 | – | Jan 23, 2010 | Fayetteville, AR (USA) (i) |
| 2009 | TJ | 16.84 | +1.2 | Jun 25, 2009 | Eugene, OR (USA) |