Cuba's Leyanis Pérez wins world triple jump gold; Yulimar Rojas, bronze
With a jump of 14.94 meters, the Cuban dethroned the Venezuelan, who registered a mark of 14.76 meters. The silver medal went to Thea LaFond from the Dominican Republic.
Leyanis Pérez wins gold medal in triple jump at World Athletics 2025.
(AFP) Yulimar Rojas was dethroned in her comeback. The Venezuelan star, who had not competed in the triple jump for two years due to a serious injury, took bronze Thursday in the final of the Tokyo World Cup, where the champion was Cuba's Leyanis Pérez.
In the rain, Rojas had a best distance of 14.76 meters, far short of her pre-injury standards and, above all, almost a meter short of her world record of 15.74 meters.
Leyanis Pérez, who dominated the competition from start to finish, was the winner with 14.94 meters, while the silver medal went to Dominican Olympic champion Thea LaFond (14.89 meters).
The 23-year-old Cuban jumper thus culminates a great season, in which she was also proclaimed world indoor champion last March and where she revalidated her crown in the Diamond League at the end of August.
But if anyone caught the eye at the start of the final it was Yulimar Rojas, who wore "I'm back" in English on her shoes and who was chasing a fifth consecutive world title to prove that she was back to her old self before the serious injury she suffered in April 2024 to her left Achilles tendon.
The 29-year-old Caracas native did not fulfill the mission of reappearing in style with that coveted fifth gold, in the stadium where four years ago she was Olympic champion with her first world record, but she could at least rediscover the pleasure of competing after her very long hiatus.
Venezuela adds its sixth medal in a World Athletics Championships.
In addition to Rojas' five (four golds and now a bronze), the South American country climbed the podium again, with Robeilys Peinado in the pole vault in 2017.
Cuba wins its second medal in this World Cup, after the bronze by Silinda Morales in discus throw, and gets its sixteenth World Cup medal in the triple jump, a competition in which it has historically had great success.
The Caribbean island had not had a triple jump world champion since Yargelis Savigne, who won gold in the 2007 and 2009 World Championships.
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