Born in Port Arthur, Texas, she established herself domestically with wins at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1995 and 1997. At the age of 22, she became the Universiade champion, edging out Monica Iagăr in the 1997 high jump final. Acuff was the winner of the 1998 Hochsprung mit Musik meeting in Arnstadt, Germany, becoming the first non-European winner in the history of the event. She went on to win at the national championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Six national championships, all in odd numbered years.
During the 2004 Olympic final, she was in bronze medal position through 1.99m. At 2.02m, after Vita Styopina cleared her lifetime personal best on her first attempt, Acuff strategically chose to pass at what would have been her personal best just to equal Styopina and retain bronze medal position. At the time, American television commentator Dwight Stones said "That is a decision she will think about the rest of her life."
While in high school in 1993 she was named the national Girl's "High School Athlete of the Year" by Track and Field News.[2]
Just 17 days before her 40th birthday, on June 28, 2015, Acuff placed third at the USATF track championships in Eugene, Oregon, potentially qualifying her for 2015's US delegation to the world championships in Beijing, however she needed jump of 1.94 meters, the qualifying standard. She, and all of the other American women, were ultimately unable to meet this standard and could not compete in Beijing.
She was Inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.[3]
Personal bests
High jump (outdoors): 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) - Zurich, August 15, 2003
High jump (indoors): 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in) - Indianapolis, March 11, 1995
Results with a Q indicate Acuff's overall position in the qualifying round.
Modeling
Amy Acuff is also known for her career as a model. She was the subject of modeling projects, media stories, and photography relating to her sports career as a track and field athlete. Acuff was even featured on national television commercials. A new challenge was taken in 1999 as she successfully organized the making of the 2000 Omnilite Millennium Calendar of Champions, which featured nude/semi-nude photographs of Acuff and 11 other U.S. female track and field stars, with half the proceeds going to the Florence Griffith-Joyner Youth Foundation.[4]
Acuff's cover appearances include:
Esquire, "Women of Summer: Strength & Beauty: A Portfolio of America's 10 Sexiest Athletes"
The 2004 Olympics were noted for the large number of female Olympians who posed nude—following in the footsteps of the 2000 Matildas and the Omni calendar. Of the 2004 examples the most visible was Acuff's appearance on the cover and within Playboy's "The Women of the Olympics" issue.[5][6]
She is distantly related to country musician Roy Acuff (her grandfather's second cousin).[9]
She is married to Tye Harvey, a retired pole vaulter. They have a daughter, Elsa.
[10]
In addition to being a model, Acuff is also an artist with work on display with the[11]Art of the Olympians.
References
^Aquitania, Ray E. M.D.(2001)Jock-Docs: World-Class Athletes Wearing White CoatsISBN9781609106126
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-10-13. Retrieved 2011-10-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Track and Field News High School AOY
