WORLD RECORDHOLDER Yulimar Rojas came into the meet as the unquestioned favorite to capture her fourth consecutive world title. In Wednesday’s qualifying, the Venezuelan Olympic gold medalist needed just one jump, 47-10½ (14.59), to surpass the auto-Q line, as did Jamaica’s 2-time WC silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts, who had the leading mark at 48-1¾ (14.67). Other autos included Dominica’s Thea LaFond, Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Cubans Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea, Keturah Orji from the USA and 34-year-old Jamaican Kim Williams.
Americans Jasmine Moore and Oregon22 bronze medalist Tori Franklin also advanced.
Bekh-Romanchuk (formchart No. 3) took the lead in round 1 by impressing all with a season best 49-2½ (15.00). The Ukrainian’s leap was just the sixth at or above the 15-meter barrier this year. She was followed in the jump order by Pérez (formchart No. 2), who came close with 49-1 (14.96).
With Rojas fouling, Ricketts (48-8¼/14.84), LaFond (48-3¼/14.71), Dariya Derkach (47-1½/14.36) and Orji rounded out the top 6. The American’s 47-¼ (14.33) would play a pivotal role in the outcome.
The significant consequence resulting from round 2 was that Orji fouled, and then Rojas matched her 47-¼ (14.33), leaving the pair tied for 7th, but still in the top 8.
Then in round 3, Orji fouled, putting herself in a tenuous position, as Williams’ 47-2¼ (14.38) bumped her to 8th, with Rojas yet to jump in the frame.
As fate would have it, a pumped-up Rojas got it together and managed 46-9½ (14.26), breaking the stalemate with Orji for the eighth and final position that would earn 3 more jumps.
In round 4, Povea moved from 5th to 4th, but no one else improved and a Rojas foul left her in 8th.
In round 5 LaFond did reclaim her 4th from Povea, yet a perplexed Rojas fouled again, leaving herself 8th against Bekh-Romanchuk, Pérez, Ricketts and everyone else if she were to gain a spot on the podium.
Per usual, the 8th placer starts the final round, and in this instance that was Rojas, who had never been in a position like this in her World Championships career.
After giving herself a final pep talk, Rojas charged down the runway and stretched out to 49-5¾ (15.08) to take the lead, but there were still 7 jumpers who had a chance to claim gold — although none with PRs as long as the Venezuelan’s “life preserver” jump.
As hard as they tried, no one could approach the WR holder’s last-minute heroics, even though her winning distance was the shortest of her Worlds career. Ricketts came closest, as 48-11¾ (14.93) solidified her 4th-place status.
After Pérez came up short. solidifying her bronze, Bekh-Romanchuk fouled, relegating her to the runner-up position.
Rojas reflected and admitted, “It was very difficult. The fact that I won the competition with my last attempt makes it very special and memorable.
“My last attempt was proof of the hard work I have done, my mental state and my self-confidence. I didn’t care about the distance, the only thing I had in mind was to win the gold.”
Bekh-Romanchuk soberly commented that, “Maybe people saw my calm, focused and confident face, but believe me, nobody knows what I felt deep inside. Tonight, I just enjoyed my jumps, the whole competition and everything I did.”
Pérez probably summed up the athlete consensus saying, “If [anyone] could change the result at the last minute, it would be Yulimar.”
WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (August 25)
(winds ranged from +0.1 to –0.5)
1. Yulimar Rojas (Ven) 49-5¾ (15.08)
(f, 47-¼, 46-9½, f, f, 49-5¾) (f, 14.33, 14.26, f, f, 15.08);
2. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukr) 49-2½ (15.00)
(49-2½, 48-7¼, 48-1¼, f, 48-9½, f) (15.00, 14.81, 14.66, f, 14.87, f);
3. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 49-1 (14.96)
(49-1, f, 48-2¾, 48-7½, 48-10¾, 48-8) (14.96, f, 14.70, 14.82, 14.90, 14.83);
4. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 48-11¾ (14.93)
(48-8¼, 48-9½, 48-6¼, 48-4, 38-4¼, 48-11¾,) (14.84, 14.87, 14.79, 14.73, 11.69, 14.93,);
5. Thea LaFond (Dom) 48-10¾ (14.90) NR
(48-3¼, 47-6½, 47-9¾, f, 48-10¾, 47-3¾) (14.71, 14.49, 14.57, f, 14.90, 14.42);
6. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 48-9½ (14.87)
(46-8¼, 47-7¾, 47-9, 48-9½, 48-3¼, 48-9) (14.23, 14.52, 14.55, 14.87, 14.71, 14.86);
7. Kim Williams (Jam) 47-2¼ (14.38)
(46-¾, 46-2½, 47-2¼, 44-7½, 46-9, 45-7) (14.04, 14.08, 14.38, 13.60, 14.25, 13.89);
8. Dariya Derkach (Ita) 47-1½ (14.36)
(47-1½, f, f, f, f, f) (14.36, f, f, f, f, f);
9. Keturah Orji (US) 47-¼ (14.33)
(47-¼, f, f) (14.33, f, f);
10. Ottavia Cestonaro (Ita) 46-1¼ (14.05)
(46-1¼, f, 44-11) (14.05, f, 13.69);
11. Jasmine Moore (US) 44-5¼ (13.54)
(f, f, 44-5¼) (f, f, 13.54);
… dnc—Tori Franklin (US).
(best-ever-mark for-place: 6)
| * = progression of the leading jump; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Ricketts | 14.84* | 14.87 | 14.79 |
| Povea | 14.23 | 14.52 | 14.55 |
| Orji | 14.33¶ | f | f |
| Williams | 14.04 | 14.08 | 14.38¶ |
| Bekh-Romanchuk | 15.00*¶ | 14.81 | 14.66 |
| Pérez | 14.96¶ | f | 14.70 |
| Moore | f | f | 13.54¶ |
| LaFond | 14.71 | 14.49 | 14.57 |
| Derkach | 14.36¶ | f | f |
| Rojas | f | 14.33 | 14.26 |
| Cestonaro | 14.05¶ | f | 13.69 |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Rojas | f | f | |
| Derkach | f | f | |
| Williams | 13.60 | 14.25 | |
| Povea | 14.87¶ | 14.71 | |
| LaFond | f | 14.90¶ | |
| Ricketts | 14.73 | 11.69 | |
| Pérez | 14.82 | 14.90 | |
| Bekh-Romanchuk | f | 14.87 | |
| last round | |||
| Rojas | 15.08*¶ | ||
| Derkach | f | ||
| Williams | 13.89 | ||
| LaFond | 14.42 | ||
| Povea | 14.86 | ||
| Ricketts | 14.93¶ | ||
| Pérez | 14.83 | ||
| Bekh-Romanchuk | f | ||
QUALIFYING (August 23)
(auto-qualifier 46-11/14.30)
Qualifiers: Ricketts 48-1¾ (14.67), LaFond 47-11¾ (14.62) NR, Rojas 47-10½ (14.59), Bekh-Romanchuk 47-9 (14.55), Pérez 47-7 (14.50), Orji 47-¼ (14.33), Povea 46-11½ (14.31), Williams 46-11 (14.30), Cestonaro 46-7¼ (14.20), Derkach 46-5¼ (14.15), Moore & Franklin 46-4¼ (14.13);
Non-Qualifiers: María Vicente (Spa) 46-4¼ (14.13), Tuğba Danişmaz (Tur) 46-3½ (14.11), Elena Andreea Taloș (Rom) 46-1½ (14.06), Maja Åskag (Swe) 45-10½ (13.98), Ackelia Smith (Jam) 45-9¼ (13.95), Kristiina Mäkelä (Fin) 45-6½ (13.88), Rūta Lasmane (Lat) & Dovilė Kilty (Lit) 45-6¼ (13.87), Adrianna Laskowska (Pol) 44-11 (13.69), Diana Ana Maria Ion (Rom) & Gabriele dos Santos (Bra) 44-9¾ (13.66), Sharifa Davronova (Uzb) 44-9¾ (13.66), Neja Filipič (Slo), Mariko Morimoto (Jpn) & Kira Wittmann (Ger) 44-9 (13.64), Eva Pepelnak (Slo) 44-7½ (13.60), Charisma Taylor (Bah) 44-4 (13.51), Senni Salminen (Fin) 44-3½ (13.50), Véronique Kossenda Rey (Cam) 43-11¼ (13.39), Mariya Siney (Ukr) 43-10¾ (13.38), Aina Grikšaitė (Lit) 43-10 (13.36), Maoko Takashima (Jpn) 43-9¼ (13.34), Sangone Kandji (Sen) 42-¾ (12.82), Beatrix Szabó (Hun) 41-11½ (12.79).
