Brooke Buschkuehl

BIOGRAPHY

After competing in her second Olympics in Tokyo, Brooke Buschkuehl (nee Stratton) decided to have an operation for her knee pain, which had started in late 2020. It delayed a start to her 2022 campaign, missing the domestic season. 

She resumed competition in May and by June had leapt 6.61m. But then in a week before the World Championships (on 9 July), competing in a meet at Chula Vista in California, Brooke compiled a great series, closing with a new Australian record and world leading jump of 7.13m (1.8m/s). It would remain the leading jump of the year.

In Eugene, competing at her fourth World Championships, Brooke progressed smoothly into her third final, where she leapt 6.87m in the second round and finished fifth. In was an incredibly close competition with just 2cm separating third to sixth. For Brooke it was her highest place in a global meet and her longest jump at a Games or Championships. But there was more to come for Brooke, when two weeks later she competed at her second Commonwealth in Birmingham. There she leapt a windy 6.84m in the qualifying around ahead of her best series ever in the final with her lowest of her four jumps 6.87m, topped by a best of 6.95m. She won silver, to match her Gold Coast Games performance four years prior.

After a solid 2023 domestic season, where Brooke won her fifth national long jump title, she was in good form in Japan in May then in Europe in July ahead of competing at her fifth world championships in Budapest. It will be her 10th National senior team.
Unfortunately, in Budapest she would miss the final leaping 6.55m in the qualifying rounds. She closed the year with a solid 4th in the Diamond League final leaping 6.71m.

Struggling early in 2024 Brooke bravely opened up about her mental health struggles with an Instagram post on March 24: 
“I’ve been working my way through some mental health battles that I fought all of last year. In October I felt so defeated & I was finally able to acknowledge the fact that I was not ok & found the strength to seek help.”
In April she reached a solid season’s best of 6.50m to claim her sixth National title. In June she reached 6.62m in America.

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Brooke started athletics aged five at Nunawading Little Athletics Centre. Her interest in the long jump was sparked when she won the under-9 state title. She compiled a tremendous junior career, starting with the World Youth Championships in 2009 where she placed 10th. She followed this with two appearances at the world juniors in 2010 and 2012.

Selected for her senior debut in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she was forced to withdraw with an injury. In 2015, she competed at the world championships leaping 6.64m in the qualifying round. Brooke started 2016 with a PB of6.73m, but over five weeks during the domestic season she improved her PB to 6.79m, then 6.94m and finally on March 12, 7.05m. The last performance broke the 14-year-old Australian record. A week later she placed fifth at the World Indoor Championships with a leap of 6.75m. At the Rio Olympics, Brooke was brilliant, placing seventh in the final with a leap of 6.74m.

Injured during the Australian summer, she resumed competition in Europe and was tremendous at the 2017 World Championships with a series included leaps of 6.67m, 6.67m and 6.64m, placing sixth in the final - the highest placeby an Aussie in the event, surpassing some of our greats, Bronwyn Thompson, Nicole Boegman and Robyn Lorraway. In just her second competition of the 2018 season, she won her third national long jump title with a leap of 6.66m and at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games won silver (6.77m).

Brooke’s 2019 season saw her climb onto a Diamond League meet podium before she competed at the IAAF World Championships - placing 10th in the final with a leap of 6.46m after jumping 6.58m in qualifying. 
In the 2020/21 season, Brooke showed strong form early when jumping a windy 6.78m in December before securing the Olympic standard with a leap of 6.84m which saw her sail to yet another national title - granting her an automatic nomination for her second Olympic Games. 

Now married and competing under the name Brooke Buschkuehl (nee Stratton), she was terrific at the Tokyo Olympics, placing seventh with her longest ever leap of 6.83m in the green and gold.
"It has been a rocky lead in with injury. A couple of months I didn't even know if I was going to make it here. The jump is my fifth furthest ever. I can't be disappointed," said Brooke. 
"It's a bittersweet placing as 7th is where I placed in Rio, but the performance was further, and the girls out there were very consistent, and it would have taken a lot to make the podium." 

Brooke’s knee pain which started at the end of 2020, was operated on post the Tokyo Olympics.
“I had a chondroplasty on a full thickness trochlea cartilage tear as well as ITB release surgery. The road back has been pretty challenging and my knee is still not pain free but it’s getting there with time,” said Brooke.

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Brooke’s mental health struggles: an Instagram post 24 March 2024

Last night was a struggle; This whole season has been a struggle. I am not showing up as the athlete I know I am and there are some reasons for it which I haven’t been too open about. I’ve been working my way through some mental health battles that I fought all of last year. In October I felt so defeated & I was finally able to acknowledge the fact that I was not ok & found the strength to seek help. Since then, my body has been going through some change & adjustments to find the right medication which is proving to be difficult to train & compete through.
Brooke Buschkuehl the 7m long jumper will be back one day soon & until then I will keep showing up and giving every competition 100% like I always do. I’m not giving up yet ✨

Human first. Athlete second.

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Most influential people in your career: My father- Russell Stratton. He has believed in me and my ability ‘from the get go’. His positivity and outlook on life has really inspired me to go after my goals no matter what…..Advice to your younger self: Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t achieve something…..Diet challengers: In April 2013 she was diagnosed with coeliac disease and was found to be gluten intolerant. She had been struggling with fatigue for the majority of the previous two years. After a change of diet improvement came….Athlete she admires? Bronwyn Thompson. She was the previous Australian record holder and achieved some incredible results for our country. She helped me believe I could one day be in a similar position…Married: in February 2022 Brooke Stratton married Nathan Buschkuehl…Hobbies/interests: I love going for walks, watching Netflix and photography.

@ 10 June 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au