Janay DeLoach delivered a season-best long jump Friday night at the World Indoor Track and Field Championships, but her feat on the last of her six attempts left her less than two inches shy of the podium.
DeLoach, 30, the former Eielson High star, finished fourth in Portland, Oregon, with a leap of 22 feet, 7.25 inches.
That left DeLoach 1.75 inches behind bronze medalist Lorraine Ugen of Great Britain (22-9).
DeLoach, the Olympic bronze medalist in 2012 and world indoor silver medalist that same year, sat third after three attempts. At that point, the field of 16 was winnowed to the top eight for the final three attempts.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Reese seized her third world indoor title with a sixth-round jump of 23-8.25, the best in the world this season and .50 shy of matching her 2012 record for the world indoor meet.
Ivana Spanovic of Serbia took silver at 23-2.50.
DeLoach's 22-7.25 Friday was 5.50 inches farther than she has gone this year and 9.75 inches farther than she flew in Portland last weekend, when she finished second to Reese at the USA indoor nationals.
Her jump Friday also was the longest indoors since two left ankle surgeries in 2014 prompted her to use her right foot for her take-off after spending her career jumping off her left foot.
DeLoach earned $8,000 from the IAAF, the world governing body for track. Reese earned $40,000 for her victory, Spanovic earned $20,000 for her silver and Ugen $10,000 for her bronze.
Reach Doyle Woody at dwoody@alaskadispatch.com