Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, there was a lot of anticipation for Venezuelan track sensation Yulimar Rojas. The athlete was preparing to defend her triple jump gold medal, which she secured at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, in an unfortunate incident, she hurt her left Achilles tendon during a training session, causing her to face a season-ending injury. She took this tragic news to her Instagram handle and addressed it with an emotional note for her fans and country.
In her social media post, Rojas starts off by apologizing to her followers, mentioning she won’t be able to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics. Despite being in a devastating state, she addresses the events that led to her withdrawal from the event. In the caption of the IG post, she writes:
“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 apologize for not being able to represent you in Paris 2024.”
The Achilles tendon resides in the back of the leg, and connects two vital areas of the body; the calf muscles and the heel bone. Any injury to it can affect one’s overall lower leg portion.
The injury would rule out the Olympic champion for a long period, making her unable to compete in any sporting events, until she recovers completely. The sporting events also include the much anticipated Paris Olympics, resulting in a devastating season for her.
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Following this deadly injury, Rojas will not be able to defend her Olympic title, leaving the athlete sorrowful. In preparation for Paris 2024, the athlete did not open her 2024 season. With a heavy heart, the track sensation also penned a heartwarming message for her close ones:
“I want to thank my family, friends and all my work team, who at this time have not separated from me trying to make me understand the very complex situation I go through. To all my sponsors and sporting institutions in my country for all the support given.”
The Venezuelan athlete now looks forward to her country’s athletic team and wishes them the best. As she won’t be able to make it to Paris, she has a message for them:
“I wish you a lot of success to our Venezuelan delegation in Paris 2024, since I am already very proud of you, and to my track mates, who do their best to reach also the glory. See you soon, with the same dreams and desire.”
Rojas has been a fierce competitor on the track for a long time. The four-time world champion conquered the triple jump category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was a sight to behold back then and is still a fond memory for many track fans.
Yulimar Rojas’ triple jump to Olympic glory
The triple jump is a unique category in the Olympic events. The athletes who compete in the event while crossing the jump line, have to jump three times before landing on the sand. These jumps will only count if they have used one foot in each of the two sections provided before the final landing. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Yulimar Rojas, as seen in the video shared by the Olympics on their YouTube channel, takes a huge run-up before attempting her triple leap in the finals.
She perfectly committed to running, and on the first attempt, she secured a 15.41-second mark. However, the triple jumpers were given three attempts, and she went for one more. To everyone’s surprise, this time around, she clocked in a terrific 15.67-second mark. By achieving this feat, Rojas secured the gold medal at the Olympics. Not only that, but she also became a world record holder.
