Training Injury Forces Tripple Jump Champion Yulimar Rojas Out of the Paris Olympics

Venezuelan athlete and triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas will not participate in the upcoming 2024 Olympics, after an injury sustained in training forced her out of this year’s competition.

Rojas currently holds the world record for women’s triple jump and was set to defend the title she won at the Tokyo Olympic Games in Paris, France, over the summer. However, during a training session in Spain, the athlete sustained an injury to her Achilles tendon and underwent surgery in Madrid.

Sharing a photograph from her hospital room, Rojas announced the news to her supporters on her Instagram page and expressed regret as she apologised for not being able to represent Venezuela in Paris.

“With great pain and sadness I want to tell you that while training by falling downhill from a jump I was in intense pain that was diagnosed with an injury to my left achilles tendon. My heart is broken and I feel so sad that I want to apologise for not being able to represent you in Paris 2024,” Rojas wrote.

Rojas further expressed her disappointment, as she was looking forward to defending her title, but highlighted that it was important to take the necessary time to recover from her injury.

“Today I feel very emotionally affected by not being able to represent them, the desire to defend my Olympic title excited me enormously but today I have to stop, understand this, recover and come back with a lot of strength to continue flying together.”

Rojas went on to thank her family, friends, and sponsors for their continued support and extended well wishes to her fellow Venezuelan athletes who will be representing the country at the Olympics.

View Rojas’ full statement below.