Yulimar Rojas

Yulimar Rojas Rodríguez was born on October 21, 1995, in Caracas, Venezuela. Growing up in a deprived area, she learned to overcome challenges, which she credits with developing her drive and perseverance. Initially interested in volleyball and basketball, a lack of local teams led her to athletics. Recognized for her height and natural athleticism, she began training under coach Jesús “Tuqueque” Velásquez at the Simón Bolívar Sports Complex in Puerto la Cruz. Her early training involved contributing to the physical creation of her practice environment, such as digging sandpits for jumps. Rojas initially competed in shot put and high jump, setting a national youth record in high jump at age 15 in the 2011 South American Junior Championships, her first international event. She then explored long jump and grew a preference for triple jump from 2014, breaking Venezuelan under-20 records and national records in both events.

A significant turning point came in 2015 when Rojas contacted Cuban long jumper Iván Pedroso via Facebook, asking to train with him. Pedroso, recognizing her potential, invited her to Guadalajara, Spain, where he was based. This move provided her with access to better training facilities and resources crucial for her development. In 2016, she joined FC Barcelona’s athletics division, a partnership brought about through mutual sponsor Nike and her support for the football club. Her career progressed rapidly following this, and in 2016, she earned an Olympic silver medal in the triple jump at the Rio de Janeiro Games, becoming the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic medal. This achievement was highly celebrated in Venezuela.

Rojas continued to dominate the triple jump, securing her first outdoor World Championship title in London in 2017, surpassing rival Caterine Ibargüen. She continued to achieve multiple World Championship titles. In February 2020, she broke the women’s indoor triple jump world record at the Meeting Villa de Madrid, reaching 15.43 m. The pinnacle of her career came at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021) where she set a new Olympic record and then a world record of 15.67 m with her final jump, becoming Venezuela’s first female Olympic gold medalist. She further broke her own world record in 2022, achieving an indoor triple jump of 15.74 m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade. In 2023, she won her fourth consecutive World Outdoor Triple Jump title in Budapest. Despite a recent Achilles injury requiring surgery in April 2024, which will cause her to miss the Paris Olympics, Rojas continues to be a leading figure in her sport, nicknamed “la reina del triple salto” (the queen of the triple jump).