Downers Grove native Tori Franklin reflects on debut Olympics in Tokyo, sets sights on Paris

TOKYO – It wasn’t the result she was hoping for on the track but Downers Grove native Tori Franklin still is chalking up her debut Olympic experience as a win for other reasons.

The 28-year-old triple jumper, who graduated from Downers Grove South High School, placed 13th out of 17 jumpers in her qualification round July 30 and 23rd out of 32 jumpers overall. Her best jump of 13.68 meters was significantly lower than her personal competition best of 14.52 meters.

“I definitely wasn’t pleased with the result,” said Franklin, who broke the triple jump record in high school at Downers Grove South and in college at Michigan State and later broke both the American indoor and outdoor records. “Just jumping what I normally jump would have sufficed to make the finals. My legs felt pretty heavy.”

Franklin arrived in the host city July 23, two days after the opening ceremony and just five days before her first event because of COVID-19 protocols in Tokyo that aimed to limit occupancy in the Olympic Village. Unlike other U.S. sports teams, many of which held training camps in other cities across Japan prior to the Games, the track and field program prepared in the U.S.

“I don’t think the late arrival helped,” Franklin said. “We were at a little bit of a disadvantage.”

Franklin said she felt calm on the track and that nerves didn’t get to her on the world’s biggest stage last week. And despite the lackluster showing coupled with COVID-19 restrictions that made sightseeing impossible, Franklin said she still thoroughly enjoyed the Tokyo experience.

Her favorite part was making new friends from both the U.S. and elsewhere. She bonded with track and field teammates English Garner, Kaylin Whitney and Raven Saunders, who she knew of but didn’t have much of a friendship with before the Olympics.

Walking around in the Olympic Village during her free time, Franklin was in awe of the incredible athletes around her.

“I would be watching judo or something on TV and then I’d see the same guy later in the elevator,” she said. “It was just really inspiring to be around so many talented and successful athletes.”

[ Downers Grove South grad Tori Franklin set to write next chapter of triple jump career in Tokyo ]

The sting of her performance on the track hasn’t worn off yet. Franklin is not sure if it ever will. Perhaps fortunately, the Downers Grove native won’t have much time to dwell on it.

With the Paris Olympics in her sights for 2024, Franklin hopes to be back on the big stage three years from now. The international track schedule before that is completely packed with events, including a world championship meet that was scheduled for 2021 but pushed back to 2022 to accommodate the yearlong delay of the Olympics.

The 2023 world championships will remain as scheduled, meaning instead of the usual summer off every four years, Franklin will have to run four consecutive years. She also hopes to compete in the indoor track and field world championships in both 2022 and 2023.

“These next three years are going to go very fast,” she said. “I have to figure out when I’m going to rest because I’m not going to get much of it.”