- Born:
- October 21, 1995, Caracas, Venezuela (age 31)
- Awards And Honors:
- Olympic Games
Yulimar Rojas
-
Who is Yulimar Rojas?
Yulimar Rojas, born on October 21, 1995, is a Venezuelan athlete known as the "Queen of the Triple Jump". In 2022, she set a world record in the sport with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet). At the 2020 Tokyo Games, which were held in 2021, Rojas became the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic gold medal.
Growing up on a small farm, Rojas initially wanted to play volleyball but turned to track and field, where she competed in high jump, long jump, and triple jump events. In 2015, she began training with Cuban Olympic gold-medal-winning long jumper, IvĂĄn Pedroso, whom she called a turning point in her life. Rojas won a gold medal at the world indoor championships in 2016 and made her Olympic debut that same year, earning a silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which sport does Yulimar Rojas compete in?
Yulimar Rojas competes in the triple jump. She is known as the "Queen of the Triple Jump" due to her historic performances in the sport. In 2022, Rojas set a world record in the sport with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet). At the 2020 Tokyo Games, she became the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She also holds multiple world championship titles in the triple jump, both indoor and outdoor.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is the triple jump, the event Yulimar Rojas is famous for?
The triple jump is a track and field event where athletes make a horizontal jump for distance incorporating three continuous movements: a hop (landing on the same foot as takeoff), a step (landing on the other foot), and a jump (landing with both feet together). Yulimar Rojas, known as the "Queen of the Triple Jump," is famous for setting the world record in the sport with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet) in 2022. She also won the first-ever Olympic gold medal for a female Venezuelan athlete at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What major records or titles has Yulimar Rojas achieved?
Yulimar Rojas, dubbed the "Queen of the Triple Jump," has achieved significant milestones in her career. In 2021, she became the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, setting a world record of 15.67 meters.
Rojas has also won multiple world championships, including the 2016 world indoor championships in Portland, and she has set a world indoor record of 15.43 meters in 2020. In 2022, she broke her own record with a jump of 15.74 meters at the world indoor championships in Belgrade, becoming the first triple jumper to win three world indoor titles. She also won a fourth world outdoor triple jump title in 2023.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Yulimar Rojas impacted sports in Venezuela?
Yulimar Rojas, dubbed the "Queen of the Triple Jump," has significantly impacted sports in Venezuela. Her historic performances, including setting a world record in 2022 with a jump of 15.74 meters (51.64 feet), have brought international recognition to her home country. At the 2020 Tokyo Games, she became the first Venezuelan woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Rojas's charisma and advocacy for LGBTQ rights have further elevated her status as an influential figure both on and off the field.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What challenges has Yulimar Rojas overcome in her athletic career?
Yulimar Rojas, known as the âQueen of the Triple Jump,â faced early adversity growing up on a small farm as one of seven children, which she says helped her succeed later in life. Although successful in high jump, she gravitated towards the triple jump due to her height, power, and speed. In 2015, she reached out to Olympic gold medalist IvĂĄn Pedroso, who agreed to coach her, leading her to move to Spain and calling it a turning point. Rojas is also an advocate for LGBTQ rights.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Yulimar Rojas (born October 21, 1995, Caracas, Venezuela) is considered the âQueen of the Triple Jump,â known for her series of historic performances. In 2022 she set the world record in the sport, jumping 15.74 meters (51.64 feet). In addition, at the 2020 Tokyo Games (which were delayed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic), she became the first female Venezuelan to win an Olympic gold medal. The charismatic Rojas is also a high-profile advocate for LGBTQ rights.
Early life
Rojas, who is one of seven children in her family, grew up on a small farm in what she has called âhumble beginnings.â She later said that the adversity she faced as a child helped her succeed later in life.
Rojas initially wanted to play volleyball, but there was no local team. She eventually turned to track and field and competed in such events as the high jump, the long jump, and the triple jump. Although she had success in all three sportsâshe notably won a gold medal in the high jump at the South American Games in 2014âshe began to gravitate toward the triple jump. In that sport the competitor hops, taking off and landing on the same foot; steps, landing on the other foot; and jumps, landing usually with both feet together. Rojas later stated that she thought that she would do well in the triple jump because of her height (she is 6 feet 3 inches [1.905 meters] tall), power, and speed.
- 2016 Rio Games: silver
- 2020 Tokyo Games: gold
In 2015 Rojas sent a message on Facebook to IvĂĄn Pedroso, an Olympic gold-medal-winning long jumper from Cuba whom she admired. She mentioned wanting to train with him, and he agreed to be her coach. By then, Pedroso was living in Spain, and Rojas subsequently moved there. She later called their meeting âdestinyâ and âa turning pointâ in her life.
World records
âââNothing is impossible,â thatâs my motto.â
In 2016 Rojas won a gold medal at the world indoor championships in Portland, Oregon. Later that year she made her Olympic debut at the Games in Rio de Janeiro, where she claimed a silver medal. In 2017 she competed at the outdoor world championships in London. There she won her first world outdoor title. More world championships followed, leading to a momentous performance in 2020. That year she set the world indoor record with a jump of 15.43 meters (50.62 feet) at a meet in Madrid. She surpassed Russian Tatyana Lebedevaâs record by 7 cm (2.76 inches). Rojas was named the female World Athlete of the Year by World Athletics.
However, that was just a warm-up to Rojasâs performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021). There she jumped 15.67 meters (51.41 feet), breaking the world record of 15.50 meters (50.85 feet) set by Inessa Kravets of Ukraine in 1995. In the process, Rojas became Venezuelaâs first female Olympic gold medal winner.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
In 2022 Rojas broke her own record, jumping 15.74 meters (51.64 feet), as she claimed the gold medal at the world indoor championships in Belgrade, Serbia. With that victory, she became the first triple jumper to win three world indoor titles. The following year Rojas continued to make history, winning an unprecedented fourth world outdoor triple jump title. The win came at the 2023 world championships in Budapest, where she had a shaky start and barely advanced to the final round. Rojas gave herself a pep talk and then made a winning jump of 15.08 meters (49.48 feet). Writing for the Associated Press, Pat Graham called her âas close to automatic these days as Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt was in his heyday.â
- Gold: 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023
- Gold: 2016, 2018, 2022
The following month Rojas announced on social media that she would not compete in the 2023 Pan American Games so that she could prepare for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. She also apologized to all those who had bought tickets to see her compete. Rojas has said her goal is to jump 16 meters (52.49 feet). âI have two motivations in life: achieve 16 meters and doing better than the legend that is my coach, IvĂĄn Pedroso.â In April 2024, however, Rojas tore her Achilles tendon during a training session and was unable to compete at the Paris Games.
Personal life
In addition to her athletic feats, Rojas is known for her charisma and enthusiasm. Her victory dances were especially popular. Rojas, who is a lesbian, has talked openly about her sexuality and is a vocal supporter of LGBTQ rights. In a 2020 interview with Carlos Arribas for El PaĂs newspaper, she said:
My orientation has always been important to me and to my career. Since I started sports, I have always tried to fight for the ideologies and rights of women and the LGBT community.