(Caracas) Reigning Olympic champion and triple jump world record holder, Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas announced on Friday her withdrawal from the 2024 Olympic Games of which she was the arch-favorite, due to an injury to her left Achilles tendon .
“I will not be able to participate in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It is with great pain and sadness that I want to tell you” that upon landing a jump “I had intense pain, diagnosed as a injury to the left Achilles tendon,” she wrote in a message on Instagram.
“I am heartbroken and I feel so much sadness that I want to apologize for not being able to represent you (Venezuela and its fans) at Paris 2024,” she adds, posting a photo of herself lying on her hospital bed. She was operated on in a clinic in Madrid.
Quadruple outdoor world champion and triple indoor crown, athlete of the year in 2020 and 2023, Pan-American and South American champion, multiple winner of the Diamond League… “Queen Yulimar”, also vice-champion Olympic in Rio, was aiming for a second consecutive title and had even considered doubling with length. She has held the world record since 2022 (15.74 m).
Based in Spain, the long-legged 28-year-old Venezuelan (1.92 m) is coached by Cuban long jump legend Ivan Pedroso.
“Today I feel very emotionally affected by not being able to defend my Olympic title […] but today I have to stop, understand this, recover and come back with a lot of strength to continue flying together,” she says.
With his absence, the Paris Games (July 26–August 11) lose one of the biggest stars of world athletics.