Vashti Cunningham facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vashti Cunningham

Cunningham at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Personal information
Born	(1998-01-18) January 18, 1998 (age 27) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	55 kg (121 lb)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	High jump
Club	Nike
Turned pro	2016
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	High jump outdoor: 2.02 m (6 ft 7.40255906 in) (Chula Vista 2021) High jump indoor: 2.00 m (6 ft 6.61515748 in) (Fayetteville 2021)
Medal record Women's athletics Representing the  United States World Championships Bronze 2019 Doha High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 2016 Portland High jump Silver 2018 Birmingham High jump Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2015 Edmonton High jump

Vashti Cunningham, born on January 18, 1998, is an amazing American athlete. She is famous for her skills in track and field, especially in the high jump. Vashti comes from a family of talented athletes. Her dad, Randall Cunningham, was a well-known quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Her uncle, Sam Cunningham, was also an NFL player. Vashti's older brother, Randall Cunningham II, is also a high jumper.

Her mom, Felicity de Jager Cunningham, was a ballerina with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Vashti went to Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. In March 2016, she decided to become a professional athlete and joined Nike. She also planned to continue her education at a university.

Vashti's High Jump Journey

Setting New Records

Vashti Cunningham started making headlines in high jump at a young age. On April 18, 2015, when she was just 17, she jumped 1.94 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, California. This jump set a new national high school record for the United States. It was also one of the top jumps in the world for athletes under 19 years old.

Later that year, in June 2015, Vashti won the U.S. Junior National Championship. A month after that, at the 2015 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, she jumped even higher, reaching 1.96 meters. This incredible jump matched the World Youth Best, which is the best jump ever for athletes under 18.

Becoming a World Champion

Vashti continued to impress everyone. On March 12, 2016, she jumped 1.99 meters while winning the 2016 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Portland, Oregon. This jump set a new World Junior Record, meaning it was the highest jump ever by a junior athlete. Just eight days later, she won the World Indoor Championship in the same city. This made her a world champion at a very young age!

More Wins and Medals

Vashti kept winning titles in the following years. In March 2017, she won the 2017 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships by jumping 1.96 meters. She also won at the Mt. SAC Relays and Penn Relays that year. She earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, with a jump of 2.00 meters.

In February 2018, Vashti won her third straight indoor high jump title at the 2018 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She also won a silver medal at the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

On July 7, 2023, Vashti Cunningham won her 13th U.S. high jump title. This victory happened at the U.S. outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. She continues to be one of the top high jumpers in the world.

Vashti's Competition Results

Vashti has competed in many important events around the world. Here are some of her top results:

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing the  United States
2015	Pan American Junior Championships	Edmonton, Alberta	1st	1.96 m
2016	World Indoor Championships	Portland, Oregon	1st	1.96 m
	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	13th	1.88 m
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	10th	1.92 m
2018	World Indoor Championships	Birmingham, United Kingdom	2nd	1.93 m
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	3rd	2.00 m
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	6th	1.96 m
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	18th (q)	1.86 m
	NACAC Championships	Freeport, Bahamas	1st	1.92 m
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	11th	1.90 m
2024	World Indoor Championships	Glasgow, United Kingdom	―	DNS
	Olympic Games	Paris, France	5th	1.95
2025	World Indoor Championships	Nanjing, China	10th	1.85 m

• Vashti holds the Pan American junior championships record.
• She also holds the world youth record.

USA National Championships and Olympic Trials

Vashti has won many national titles in the United States. Here are her results from the USA championships and Olympic trials:

|2025 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships |Ocean Breeze Athl. Complex, New York, NY (USA) (i) |bgcolor=gold|1st

• Vashti holds the American junior record.
• She also holds the American junior outdoor record.

See also

In Spanish: Vashti Cunningham para niños