Caterine Ibargüen, an inspiration for Yulimar Rojas 1:33
Tokyo Olympic Stadium (CNN Spanish) -
Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas swept the triple jump event of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She won the gold medal and smashed world and Olympic records.
Yulimar from very early set the pace of competition and took over from the beginning of the test.
In her first jump she surpassed the Olympic record with 15 meters and 41 centimeters, beating by just two centimeters the mark of the Cameroonian Francoise Mbango that had been in force since the 2008 Beijing Games.
(Photo Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
But the best was yet to come and the 25-year-old jumper saved her last jump to break a world record that was untouchable since 1995. The Caracas-born jumped 15.67, surpassing the mark of the Ukrainian Inessa Kravets by 17 centimeters.
This is the first gold medal in history for Venezuela in athletics.
The podium was completed by the Portuguese Patricia Mamona with 15.01 to take the silver, while the Spanish Ana Peleterio took the bronze after jumping 14.87.
Colombian Caterine Ibargüen, far from the podium, had to settle for tenth place by scoring her best jump at 14.25 and Cuban Liadagmis Povea with 14.70 ranked fifth.
