Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas wins gold, sets new world triple jump record at World Athletics Indoor Championships

Venezuela's world and Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas improved her her own women's triple jump world record at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships.

She recorded a leap of 15.74m to win gold in Belgrade on Sunday (March 20).

Rojas has a plethora of records to her name. However, with the final jump of the Championships, the 26-year-old soared to a sensational outright world record.

The 6'4 athlete took a long leap to improve her own world record (including both indoors and outdoors) in Belgrade.

Rojas had set a world record last year at the Tokyo Olympics, clearing a distance of 15.67m.

Her previous indoor best performance was 15.43m, which she registered in Madrid in February 2020.

Rojas performance in Belgrade

Rojas cleared a distance of 15.19m in the first round while ending up being marked foul in the second. Although she easily got past the 15m mark, but seemed discontented with her efforts as everyone saw her sitting frustrated.

Through the entire rollercoaster for the 26-year-old jumper, the fourth round got her foiled as Rojas was given a foul after she scored 15.41m.

In the fifth attempt, Rojas marked the 15.36m to match the championship record set in 2004. However, taking to the runway one last time, she rocked the crowd to clinch her sixth consecutive global gold medal.

The Venezuelan finished winning her third straight world indoor triple jump gold, adding to successes in Portland in 2016 and 2018 Birmingham. She also swept the outdoor titles in 2017 and 2019 as well as the 2021 Olympic gold.

Yulimar Rojas eyes 16m mark next

Rojas bagged gold while Ukraine’s world long jump silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk cleared the 14.74m mark in the final round to win a silver medal. Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams pulled off an indoor personal best of 14.62m to attain a bronze medal.

Speaking about her new world record, Yulimar Rojas expressed her contentment and also spoke about the 16m mark.

"It's been like living a dream for me today. I wanted to come here with my coach (Ivan Pedroso) and have some fun. I was in great shape and I felt I could do great things. I'm very happy because I achieved everything I wanted and more. It could have happened at any jump, but happened on the last one. It looks a bit like a jump for glory."

When asked about the 16m mark, Rojas said:

"Nothing is impossible, that's my motto. I have two motivations in life: achieve 16 metres and doing better than the legend that is my coach, Ivan Pedroso," the former Cuban long jumper who won Olympic long jump gold as well as five indoor and four outdoor world titles."

The 6'4 jumper Rojas further added:

"I will get there. I was born to jump 16 metres and this is what inspires me to help inspire others... I know I have 16 metres in my legs and that is my target."