BUDAPEST, Aug 26:
The World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 has already been filled with upsets and surprises, but what would have been the biggest shock of the competition was averted on day seven when Venezuelan athlete Yulimar Rojas produced a last-round leap of 15.08m to win a record fourth world outdoor title in the women’s triple jump. With three no-jumps and two below-par efforts of 14.33m and 14.26m on her second and third attempts respectively, the Olympic champion was languishing down in eighth place. The world record-holder was on the verge of losing her first global final since 2017. The competition got off to a flying start, with two-time world silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts bounding out to a season’s best of 14.84m with the first jump of the evening. Having missed out on qualifying for the women’s long jump final earlier in the championships, Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk was out for redemption and her first leap landed at a season’s best of 15.00m, putting her in the lead. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez, the fourth-place finisher in Oregon last year, jumped 14.96m with her first attempt to slot into second place, the International Athletic Federation sources said. Taking to the runway on her first attempt, Rojas broke the sand at what would have been good enough to move into the lead by about 20 centimetres, but it was a foul. Bekh-Romanchuk, the long jump silver medallist in 2019, built up a solid series, recording leaps of 14.81m, 14.66m and 14.87m on her subsequent jumps. Ricketts, meanwhile, improved to 14.87m to consolidate her position in third. Liadagmis Povea matched that in round four, but was one place behind on countback. Thea LaFond went out to a national record of 14.90m to temporarily move into third, but the contest was far from over. The focus quickly switched back to Rojas, who ? given her eighth place ? was first to jump in round six. For the first time in a long while, the three-time world indoor gold medallist was under immense pressure, facing the prospect of losing her title. (UNI)
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