Why Paris 2024 will crown new Olympic triple jump champion

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Why Paris 2024 will crown new Olympic triple jump champion

Festus Chuma 12:06 - 14.04.2024

Paris 2024 faces a shake-up in the triple jump event with several emerging talents expected to shine.

Olympic triple jump champion Yulimar Rojas has been sidelined for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics due to an Achilles tendon injury.

The Venezuelan star, revered for her explosive power and grace, suffered the injury during a routine training session in Spain, and subsequent surgery in Madrid has ruled out her participation in the next Olympic Games.

Rojas, the current world record holder and a symbol of dominance in women's triple jump, expressed her devastation on social media. 

"My heart is broken and I feel so sad that I want to apologise for not being able to represent you at Paris 2024," she shared with her followers. 

Her absence from Paris 2024 marks a poignant pause in her illustrious career, which includes a gold medal from the Tokyo Games and four world championship titles.

In her emotional message, Rojas also conveyed her deep disappointment at not being able to defend her Olympic title. 

"The desire to defend my Olympic title excited me enormously but today I have to stop, understand this, recover and come back with great strength to continue flying together," she wrote.

The last competitive appearance of Rojas was at the 2023 Diamond League final in September, where she clinched the title for the third consecutive year and was crowned world champion for the seventh time. 

With Rojas out of the competition, the field is wide open for other elite athletes to make their mark.

Names like Patricia Mamona of Portugal and Kimberly Williams of Jamaica, who have previously shown strong performances, might now see a path cleared towards Olympic glory. 

This shift not only heightens the competition but also adds an element of unpredictability to an event that many assumed would be dominated by Rojas once again.

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