Yulimar Rojas, the Venezuelan warrior who works every day to be the best in the world

If we talk about triple jump, there is no athlete who can overcome Yulimar Rojas. The Venezuelan extended her impressive dominance by winning gold in Eugenio World Championships in Athletics and turns into the first woman to obtain three consecutive titles in that discipline. Current Olympic champion, he prevailed in the stadium Hayward Field with a score of 15.47 meters, much lower than the world record set in March (15.74), but enough to leave his rivals without escape, none of whom could exceed 15 meters.

“It was a beautiful day, I’m not going to tell you it was one of the best. I didn’t get the grade I wanted because maybe this year I missed the races, it was cold and windy, and I couldn’t find the Even so, I realized what I came for – win the medal, jump over 15 meters and get the best world record of the year – and I left a good record. “ commented Rojas, who climbed the top step of the podium escorted by the Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts (14.89) and the American Tori Franklin (14.72).

At just 26 years old, the Venezuelan has played six World Championships, three on indoor track –Portland 2016, Birmingham 2018 Y Belgrade 2022– and three outdoors –London 2017, Doha 2019 and this in Eugenio-. He won them all.

At the demonstration in the Serbian capital, last March, she won with those 15.74 with which she broke the world record that she had set at the Tokyo Olympics (15.67 to improve a vote that had been in force since 1995, before her birth). the Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, who was second, jumped one meter less, 14.74. and the Jamaican Kimberly Williams completed the top 3 with 14.62. On that occasion, her celebration of her was far more euphoric than the one she starred in on the Oregon track. Although the value of this title was also very great.

“It is true that I do not feel this medal as I felt at the World Championships in Belgrade, which I did with a record. But it is very special because this city brings back many memories, I come from a short preparation, I passed the time, all ‘injury, to everything that prevented him from succeeding “, he commented recalling a small muscle injury suffered a month ago.

If last year his cry of happiness for Olympic gold resounded in the empty stands of Tokyo, in Eugene Rojas he tasted the support of about 10,000 fans who asked for his support from the first jump. After a murmur of disappointment at the first discreet mark of 14.60 meters, the charismatic Venezuelan made a gesture with her hands as if to ask them to be patient.

But the public didn’t have to wait much longer. On his second attempt he aroused general amazement with a jump of 15.47 meters which he made to celebrate with the stands. With his hair dyed blonde this time, he first lifted his knees imitating the classic exultation of basketball player LeBron James and then pointed to the track with his fingers, ending the fight for the gold.

With his third world championship practically in his pocket, he had four jumps ahead of him to broaden his legend. Just three centimeters away was the World Cup record, which will continue to belong to the Ukrainian Inessa Kravets (15.50). And little more, his world record and also an unexplored frontier, his great personal goal of flying up to 16 meters.

“I was born to jump 16 meters and I know I’ll reach that goal. I’m close. It’s in my legs,” he reiterated just before hitting the track in Eugene.

But this time it can’t be. On the third attempt he stopped at 15.24. In the fourth and fifth jump he risked more than he had to and they were void. And in the sixth, “barely” he scored 15.39. But knowing she was the champion, she quickly turned around, shouted for joy and ran into the stands looking for a Venezuelan flag to cross the track.

From the ranchito de Pozuelos to the world Olympus

Pan American Champion in Lime 2019 and Olympic silver in Rio de Janeiro 2016, Yulimar is the best Venezuelan athlete in history. But his path to the top was not an easy one.

Born in Caracas on October 21, 1995, she grew up on a small ranch, as she defines it, in wells, a town near Puerto La Cruz. She is the third of six siblings. Her biological father left to try his luck in the United States and she grew up with her stepfather and mother, a secretary who was the great support of the family and became their hero. In her room, Yulimar had a hole in the ceiling and there were days when there wasn’t even enough food for everyone. But, as you once said Twitter: “We lived close but happy. Always happy.”

Rojas’s first sporting dream was to play volleyball, which he fell in love with while watching the matches of his country’s team on television in Beijing 2008. She had her physique to succeed in that sport: she measures 1.92 meters, 34 centimeters more than the average female in her country. But the day she was about to rehearse for a team in that sport, she attracted the attention of some athletic trainers, who invited her to try the high jump. And the rest is history.

At the age of 17 he broke the South American record in that test, the first he practiced in track and field, with 1.87 meters. In his first triple jump competition, with almost no training or preparation, he broke the Venezuelan record. And with just 20 years, Olympic silver was hung in Rio. A year later, he added his first outdoor world title in London, which marked the beginning of his absolute domination in this discipline. She too never forgets her origins.

“I am super happy that the girl is always present, to remember her, to always have in mind where she comes from, where she comes from. The difficulties she had to face to reach this goal, from that small ranch that fell and got wet, that we have not slept That girl who came down from a hill four times a day to be able to go to study, eat more, then go to train … ”, recalled the Venezuelan.

And he assured: “I am a warrior woman, a fighter, who gets up every day and works to leave my name written in the history of sport and be able to be a reference that does not have an easy path. She is an example for children and young people who come back. Because they fight and never give up. Everything is possible, when you have will and work and believe in yourself “.