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Tokyo 2020: Yulimar Rojas achieves the jump of her life

Even when she jumped a world-leading personal best of of 15.43M earlier this year, Rojas knew it was far from being the perfect jump.

Yulimar Rojas

Bengaluru, August 2: Yulimar Rojas had made history on Sunday (August 1) in the women's triple jump final at the Tokyo 2020 Games, sailing out to a world record of 15.67M to land Venezuela's first Olympic gold medal in athletics.

But the stage set much before before the beginning of Tokyo 2020.

Sports Life - The Rocky Road to the Olympics - Part 3

Even when she jumped a world-leading personal best of of 15.43M earlier this year, Rojas knew it was far from being the perfect jump.

That performance matched the distance of her world indoor record leap from February 2020 and put her within touching distance of the world record of 15.50M.

Yet she knew she was capable of going farther; subsequent 15M leaps - and the occasional foul that appeared to land beyond the world record distance - seemed to confirm that the Venezuelan would be capable of claiming the world record sooner or later.

She was also acutely aware, though, that such performances cannot be forced.

"Before the final, coach Ivan Pedroso told me, "Don't focus on trying to break a record. Do your thing and everything will follow. First, try to secure your gold medal. And once that's done, have fun trying to get the perfect jump," Rojas told World Athletics media.

"He is a wise man," she added. "He was right."

An Olympic record of 15.41M in the first round was a clear marker of Rojas's intent. She went beyond 15M again in the fourth round, leaping 15.25M, and took to the runway one last time in the final round, her victory by that point guaranteed.

With the pressure off and the gold medal secured, Rojas achieved the jump of her life, breaking the sand at 15.67M (0.7m/s), smashing the world record, adding 17 centimetres to the previous record set at the 1995 World Championships by Ukraine's Inessa Kravets.

"This is a magic moment, a unique moment," she said. "I've always believed in myself and I've proven what I'm capable of. It is a dream come true. I'm an Olympic champion and a world record-holder. I'm the happiest girl in the world.

"It has been a long winding road but today is the beginning of the Yulimar Rojas era."

Story first published: Monday, August 2, 2021, 22:28 [IST]
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