» 4-Time U.S. Indoor Champion: '00, '01, '04 & '06
» 2-Time U.S. Outdoor Champion: '01 & '04 (Olympic Trials)
» Bronze Medalist: '01 World Indoor Championships
» Bronze Medalist: '98 Goodwill Games
» American Record Holder - Outdoor Triple Jump
"In 2003 I began training full-time for the first time in my life in an effort to make the Olympic team, and it worked. I knew if I wanted to get to the top of my game I needed to train full-time and take care of my body. And I needed the extra hours in the day for training that I didn't have when I was working full-time," states Tiombé. Obviously, it was the right decision.
Tiombé's track and field career began in Seattle, Washington as a runner in city recreation programs. When she moved east with her mother, her new high school teacher/coach encouraged her to join the track team. It took some convincing but she joined the team her sophomore year and was introduced to the triple jump; her long legs were ideal for the event. Tiombé has competed as a triple jumper ever since.
With an undergraduate degree from James Madison University and an MBA from Howard University, Tiombé has spent much time on her studies. It wasn't until after college that she realized that she could be competitive on an international level. She started training for the 2000 Olympic Games in 1998/99 and missed the qualifying standard for the U.S. team by a mere four inches. However, the following season, in 2001 Tiombé took both the U.S. Indoor and Outdoor Championships titles and won a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships, becoming the first American woman ever to win a major championship medal in the triple jump.
