Yulimar Rojas Is Nominated for Best Athlete of the Year

The International Athletics Federation announced that the Venezuelan athlete, Yulimar Rojas, winner of a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, heads the five finalists nominated for the World Female Athlete of the Year, at the 2021 World Athletics Awards.

RELATED:

‘I Love My Country, Long Live Venezuela!’: Yulimar Rojas

This 26-year-old athlete, who holds the world record for women's triple jump, is an Olympic champion, a two-time World Champion (2017 London and 2019 Doha), and two-time World Indoor Champion (2016 Portland and 2018 Birmingham).

Raised in a deprived area of ​​Venezuela, she was successful in other sports as a teenager but could not continue to practice due to lack of facilities. She moved to Spain in 2015 to continue her athletic training. She is a recipient of the Venezuelan Order of Jose Felix Ribas - First Class.

She holds both women's triple jump world records: her personal best of 15.67 m (the world record) was set during the 2020 Olympics on August 1, as her final jump in the final round. She beat the previous world record, set by Ukraine's Inessa Kravets in 1995, by 17 centimeters. She also holds the indoor world record of 15.43 m. Since 2014, she has held, and continued to beat, Venezuelan national records in triple jump and long jump.

On Nov. 2, Rojas received the award for Best Athlete of the Year in Spain during the 2020-2021 Women's Sports Brand Awards ceremony held at the Westin Palace hotel.

"I am going with my best outdoor record, which is America's record, the best world record. I am very happy ... but I aspire to achieve much more," she said.

Other finalists for the Women's World Athlete of the Year award are Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Sydney McLaughlin (USA), and Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica), who achieved three gold medals at the Tokyo Games in the 100 meter, 200 meter, and 4x100 tests.