World Champs Women’s Triple Jump — Pérez Prevails As Rojas Reemerges

Leyanis Pérez, the bronze medalist in ’23, led here from round 1 and had to weather a final-round near-miss from the Olympic champion. (KIRBY LEE/IMAGE OF SPORT)

THE OBVIOUS STORYLINE coming into Tokyo was whether Cuba could pull off a 1-2 finish and hold off Olympic champion Thea LaFond of Dominica. Leyanis Pérez and Liadagmis Povea held the top two positions on the world list.

But there was a mystery factor: Yulimar Rojas was here. The Venezuelan had struggled with an Achilles injury, hadn’t competed in two years, and came into the meet with no mark. She gained entry only by her defending champion Wild Card. Surely she had lost some fitness.

Still… this was the holder of an impossibly long World Record and 11 of the top 14 jumps in history. She couldn’t be discounted.

The way it played out: No, she wasn’t up to her old standards, but even a weakened Rojas is formidable. Pérez and LaFond came out on top, but Rojas still snagged bronze.

Pérez was a model of consistency, either improving or equaling on each successive legal jump. Her series: 48-8¾ (14.85), foul, 48-10¾ (14.90), 49-¼ (14.94), foul and then 49-¼ again.

Rojas made it clear in round 1 that Pérez would have to earn it, landing at 48-5¼ (14.76). But she would go no further and LaFond snatched silver from her with a last-round 48-10¼ (14.89).

Povea placed 4th in 48-3½ (14.72).

“This is an incredible year for me with both the world indoor and outdoor gold,” Pérez said. “It was a special night for Cuban women tonight. I will tell my fellow Cuban women to keep fighting. I have fallen and bounced back. There’s a lot of sacrifice, but nothing beats the satisfaction of improving oneself and winning a medal.”

“I’m very emotional — with mixed feelings,” Rojas said. “It was a blessing for me to be back in the World Championships final after the past two years were so difficult. I’m very proud of that and it’s a victory for me. I’m back on the podium but I wanted more. I feel deep inside that I could have done way better. But this is sport… you have to go through hard times and show you can come back. That’s what I did and it means a lot.”

WOMEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS

FINAL (September 18)

1. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 49-¼ (14.94) PR (WL)

(48-8¾, f, 48-10¾, 49-¼, f, 49-¼) (14.85, f, 14.90, 14.94, f, 14.94);

2. Thea LaFond (Dom) 48-10¼ (14.89)

(47-7¾, 48-5¼, 47-3, 47-10½, f, 48-10¼,) (14.52, 14.76, 14.40, 14.59, f, 14.89,);

3. Yulimar Rojas (Ven) 48-5¼ (14.76)

(48-5¼, f, 47-10¾, 47-5¼, f, 48-3¼) (14.76, f, 14.60, 14.46, f, 14.71);

4. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 48-3½ (14.72)

(48-1¾, 47-11¾, 48-3½, 48-1¼, f, 45-6½) (14.67, 14.62, 14.72, 14.66, f, 13.88);

5. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 47-9¼ (14.56)

(47-9¼, f, f, f, 47-4¼, 47-8) (14.56, f, f, f, 14.43, 14.53);

6. Saly Sarr (Sen) 47-9 (14.55) PR

(47-9, f, f, 47-3¾, 46-8, 46-10) (14.55, f, f, 14.42, 14.22, 14.27);

7. Jasmine Moore (US) 47-7¼ (14.51)

(f, 46-2½, 47-7¼, 46-10, 47-3) (f, 14.08, 14.51, 14.27, 14.40);

8. Ackelia Smith (Jam) 47-1¾ (14.37)

(46-11½, 45-3, 44-11¾, 46-1½, 47-1¾) (14.31, 13.79, 13.71, 14.06, 14.37);

9. Neja Filipič (Slo) 46-½ (14.03)

(f, 45-8, 46-½, f) (f, 13.92, 14.03, f);

10. Caroline Joyeux (Ger) 45-11¼ (14.00)

(44-8¾, 45-¼, 45-11¼, 44-8¼) (13.63, 13.72, 14.00, 13.62);

11. Maja Åskag (Swe) 45-8 (13.92)

(45-2¼, f, 45-8) (13.77, f, 13.92);

12. Tuğba Danişmaz (Tur) 44-¾ (13.43)

(f, f, 44-¾) (f, f, 13.43).

* = progression of the leading jump; ¶ = athlete’s best of the day

first 3 rounds

Perez
14.85*
f
14.90*

Ricketts
14.56¶
f
f

Rojas
14.76¶
f
14.60

LaFond
14.52
14.76
14.40

Povea
14.67
14.62
14.72¶

Askag
13.77
f
13.92¶

Joyeuf
13.63
13.72
14.00¶

Moore
f
14.08
14.51¶

Sarr
14.55¶
f
f

Smith
14.31
13.79
13.71

Danismaz
f
f
13.43¶

Filipic
f
13.92
14.03¶

round 4

Joyeuf
13.62

Filipic
f

Smith
14.06

Moore
14.27

Sarr
14.42

Ricketts
f

Povea
14.66

LaFond
14.59

Rojas
14.46

Perez
14.94*¶

round 5

Smith
14.37¶

Moore
14.40

Sarr
14.22

Ricketts
14.43

Povea
f

LaFond
f

Rojas
f

Perez
f

final round

Sarr
14.27

Ricketts
14.53

Povea
13.88

LaFond
14.89¶

Rojas
14.71

Perez
14.94

QUALIFYING (September 16; auto-qualifier 47-1/14.35)

Qualifiers: Pérez 48-1¼ (14.66), Rojas 47-6½ (14.49), Povea 47-4½ (14.44), LaFond 47-3 (14.40), Ricketts 46-11 (14.30), Moore 46-8 (14.22), Sarr & Smith 46-7½ (14.21), Joyeux 46-6¾ (14.19), Åskag 46-5¼ (14.15), Filipič 46-1¼ (14.05), Danişmaz 45-11¼ (14.00);

Non-Qualifiers: Dovilė Kilty (Lit) & Gabriela Petrova (Bul) 45-5¾ (13.86), Elena Andreea Taloș (Rom) 45-5¼ (13.85), Ivana Španović (Ser) & Erika Giorgia Saraceni (Ita) 45-4¼ (13.82), Sharifa Davronova (Uzb) & Ilona Masson (Bel) 45-3 (13.79), Senni Salminen (Fin) 45-2¼ (13.77), Linda Suchá (CzR) 45-¼ (13.72), Dariya Derkach (Ita) 44-11 (13.69), Yi Li (Chn) 44-10¾ (13.68), Oxána Koréneva (Gre) & Maoko Takashima (Jpn) 44-9¾ (13.66), Diana Ana Maria Ion (Rom) 44-9 (13.64), Desleigh Owusu (Aus) 44-6¾ (13.58), Gabriele dos Santos (Bra) 44-5¼ (13.54), Janne Nielsen (Den) 44-4¾ (13.53), Jessie Maduka (Ger) 44-2½ (13.47), Anne-Suzanna Fosther-Katta (Cam) 44-1½ (13.45), Olha Korsun (Ukr) 43-11¾ (13.40), Ilionis Guillaume (Fra) 43-10¾ (13.38), Agur Dwol (US) 43-7¾ (13.30), Mariko Morimoto (Jpn) 42-11¾ (13.10);… 3f—Regiclecia Da Silva (Bra).

Since 1986, Lee Nichols has been the Rockdale (Texas) High School record holder in the mile and 2-miles. He followed those feats with a brief and highly undistinguished tenure with the Texas Longhorns. He has been writing for Track & Field News since 2004. When he’s not writing about track, he’s either writing about or drinking craft beer and watching Tottenham Hotspur play soccer.

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