IN FULL COMMAND of the runway as well as her adoring crowd, the queen of the triple jump added another major honor to her burgeoning collection in a display of bravura that once again left her competitors battling over the lesser medals.
Jumping No. 2 in the order, Yulimar Rojas opened with an oh-so-mortal 47-10¾ (14.60). That the 26-year-old Venezuelan was not happy she made clear to all. Her atypical performance allowed Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts an absolute rarity: she got ahead of the queen with her 48-10¼ (14.89).
In between, American Tori Franklin had scored a 47-8 (14.53) that put her in bronze position at the end of the round. Next, Ukrainian Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk launched a huge effort that would have put her in the medals had it not been foul.
Rojas, not happy with the opening she had given Ricketts, decided it was time to quell her rebellious subject. Commanding the audience to clap rhythmically, she then focused on her run, charging toward the board and launching into a powerful hop, step & jump that took her to 50-9¼ (15.47), the No. 6 leap in history and the farthest ever on U.S. soil. Standing next to the pit, she thumped her chest in pride.
Later in the round Bekh-Romanchuk twisted her ankle at the end of her first phase and ran through, Ricketts showed consistency at 48-9 (14.86), and AR holder Keturah Orji hit a windy 47-6½ (14.49) to move to 4th.
In the third sequence, Rojas put forth a 50-0 (15.24) despite landing badly. Bekh-Romanchuk tried to get the crowd clapping for her final bid to make the top 8, but the crowd, watching Anna Hall lead the heptathlon 800, barely noticed her. She only managed a not-good-enough 45-7¾ (13.91). Then Cuban Leyanis Pérez Hernández bumped Franklin out the medals with her PR 48-2¾ (14.70).
In round 4 Rojas appeared to go past the WR marker. However, blown by a 3.4 wind she had stepped 12.2cm (just under 5 inches) past the foul line. She asked to see the video replay before stalking off, frustrated.
Franklin bounced back into the medals in round 5, hitting 48-3½ (14.72) despite leaving well before the board. That gave her the =No. 6 U.S. performance ever.
Rojas, pushed by another wind (2.1), again went past the foul line (by 17.9cm/7 inches), landing near 51ft (c15.50).
The only improvement in the final stanza came from Dominica’s Thea LaFond, whose 47-9¼ (14.56) put her at 5th. Orji, who had struggled all day with foul problems, popped off a safe 46-1½ (14.06) but would not challenge for medals. Franklin boomed a big one that landed past 49ft (15m), but her toe had gone past the board.
Rojas, hoping to leave her fans with a special gift, hit 50-6 (15.39) on her final effort. Standing in the sand, she stretched tall in satisfaction.
“Every meet, big or small, is a challenge to me,” the 3-time champion said. “I came with the goal to get closer to my World Record. The wind affected my run-up. I tried to adjust, but the most important thing was to win the medal and stay consistent over 15m [49ft].”
Said Franklin, the first American woman to ever win a TJ medal at the WC: “I am happy that I am finally competing to the best of my ability. And I know there is so much more to come. It is so tough right now in our event because Rojas is just an amazing jumper. Shanieka always comes with this energy. So I feel really blessed right now to be among these special women.”
WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (July 18)
(temperature 66–72F/19–22C; humidity 78–67%)
(winds ranged from +3.9 to –0.9)
1. Yulimar Rojas (Ven) 50-9¼ (15.47) (out WL) (x, 6 W) (U.S. all-comer’s record)
(47-10¾, 50-9¼, 50-0, f, f, 50-6) (14.60, 15.47, 15.24, f, f, 15.39);
2. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 48-10¼ (14.89)
(48-10¼, 48-9, 47-1¾, 47-3, 47-11¾w, 48-6¾) (14.89, 14.86, 14.37, 14.40, 14.62w, 14.80);
3. Tori Franklin (US) 48-3½ (14.72) (x, =6 A)
(47-8w, 47-5, f, f, 48-3½, f) (14.53w, 14.45, f, f, 14.72, f);
4. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 48-2¾ (14.70) PR
(47-3w, 48-2¾, 47-2½, 47-8½, 47-10, 46-6¾) (14.40w, 14.70, 14.39, 14.54, 14.58, 14.19);
5. Thea LaFond (Dom) 47-9¼ (14.56)
(f, 43-3, 47-4¼, 46-9½, f, 47-9¼,) (f, 13.18, 14.43, 14.26, f, 14.56,);
6. Keturah Orji (US) 47-6½w (14.49)
(44-2½, 47-6½w, f, f, f, 46-1½) (13.47, 14.49w, f, f, f, 14.06);
7. Kimberly Williams (Jam) 46-10¾ (14.29)
(f, 46-10¾, 45-1w, 46-10¾, 45-10¾, 46-6¾) (f, 14.29, 13.74w, 14.29, 13.99, 14.19);
8. Patrícia Mamona (Por) 46-10¾w (14.29)
(46-9, f, 46-6¾, f, 46-10¾w, 45-11¼) (14.25, f, 14.19, f, 14.29w, 14.00);
9. Kristiina Mäkelä (Fin) 46-6¼ (14.18)
(46-6¼, 46-5¼, 46-3¼) (14.18, 14.15, 14.10);
10. Ana José Tima (DR) 46-4¼ (14.13)
(46-4¼, 46-4w, 45-6¼) (14.13, 14.12w, 13.87);
11. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukr) 45-7¾ (13.91)
(f, 41-8, 45-7¾) (f, 12.70, 13.91);
12. Ackelia Smith (Jam) 45-7¼ (13.90)
(42-8¼, f, 45-7¼) (13.01, f, 13.90).
| * = progression of the leading jump; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day | |||
| first 3 rounds | |||
| Smith | 13.01* | f | 13.90¶ |
| Rojas | 14.60* | 15.47*¶ | 15.24 |
| Tima | 14.13¶ | 14.12w | 13.87 |
| Williams | f | 14.29¶ | 13.74w |
| Franklin | 14.53w | 14.45 | f |
| Bekh-Romanchuk | f | 12.70 | 13.91¶ |
| Mäkelä | 14.18¶ | 14.15 | 14.10 |
| Ricketts | 14.89*¶ | 14.86 | 14.37 |
| Mamona | 14.25 | f | 14.19 |
| Orji | 13.47 | 14.49w¶ | f |
| Pérez | 14.40w | 14.70¶ | 14.39 |
| LaFond | f | 13.18 | 14.43 |
| rounds 4 & 5 | |||
| Mamona | f | 14.29w¶ | |
| Williams | 14.29 | 13.99 | |
| Pérez | 14.54 | 14.58 | |
| LaFond | 14.26 | f | |
| Orji | f | f | |
| Franklin | f | 14.72¶ | |
| Ricketts | 14.40 | 14.62w | |
| Rojas | f | f | |
| last round | |||
| Mamona | 14.00 | ||
| Williams | 14.19 | ||
| LaFond | 14.56¶ | ||
| Orji | 14.06 | ||
| Pérez | 14.19 | ||
| Franklin | f | ||
| Ricketts | 14.80 | ||
| Rojas | 15.39 | ||
QUALIFYING
(July 16; auto-qualifier 47-3/14.40)
Qualifiers: Rojas 48-3½ (14.72), Bekh-Romanchuk 47-8½ (14.54) PR, Tima 47-7¾ (14.52) NR, Mäkelä 47-6¼ (14.48) PR, Ricketts 47-5 (14.45), LaFond 47-2½ (14.39), Orji 47-1¾ (14.37), Smith 47-1½ (14.36) PR, Franklin 47-1½ (14.36), Mamona 46-11¾ (14.32), Pérez 46-11 (14.30), Williams 46-10 (14.27).
Non-Qualifiers: Jasmine Moore (US) 46-8¾ (14.24), Senni Salminen (Fin) 46-7½ (14.21), Hanna Minenko (Isr) 46-3½ (14.11), Neja Filipič (Slo) 46-1¼ (14.05), Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 45-11¾ (14.01), Naomi Metzger (GB) 45-10 (13.97), Davisleidis L. Velazco (Cub) 45-9 (13.94), Neele Eckhardt-Noack (Ger) & Ruth Usoro (Ngr) 45-8½ (13.93), Ottavia Cestonaro (Ita) & Tuğba Danişmaz (Tur) 44-8¾ (13.63), Spiridoúla Karídi (Gre) & Gabriele dos Santos (Bra) 44-8¼ (13.62), Yekaterina Sariyeva (Aze) 44-2 (13.46), Jessie Maduka (Ger) 43-7¾ (13.30), Mariya Yefremova (Kaz) 43-6½ (13.27).
