Yulimar Rojas Returns to Japan to Defend Her World Crown

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Yulimar Rojas Returns to Japan to Defend Her World Crown

Sep 16, 2025

The Venezuelan athlete returns this Tuesday to Tokyo’s National Stadium, where she won her Olympic gold, to compete in her first official event since 2023 and chase her eighth World Athletics Championship title.

September 15, 2025

The World Athletics Championships in Japan will have a special flavor for Yulimar Rojas. This Tuesday, September 16, the Venezuelan will step onto the pit at Tokyo’s National Stadium, a venue that already saw her crowned in glory when she won Olympic gold at the Tokyo 2020 Games. She arrives with renewed hopes and the mission to show everyone who has been waiting for her that the queen of the triple jump is back: “I return with my heart full of gratitude, with strength, and with a strong desire to give the best of myself.”

For Rojas, an Olympic silver and gold medalist and seven-time world champion, this will be her first official triple jump competition since the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League in Eugene in 2023. After dominating the event unchallenged since 2017, an Achilles tendon injury suffered in April 2024 forced her into a long pause, making her miss the Paris Olympics—an ordeal she has faced with determination.

“It’s been two years of a long, hard, and full of lessons journey. An injury not only stops you physically, it also tests your mind, your patience, and your faith. Every day of rehab was a different challenge: learning to walk again without pain, exercising carefully, enduring the frustration of slow progress, while at the same time celebrating each small step as if it were a medal,” Rojas said upon her arrival in Japan.

“The recovery wasn’t only physical work. It was discipline, tears, days of silence, wanting to give up… but it was also consistency, faith, and an incredible team by my side. My doctors, physiotherapists, coach, support staff, and family always reminded me that the body needs time and that I could do it,” she added.

The women’s triple jump qualification is scheduled for 6:40 a.m. (Venezuela time) on Tuesday, September 16, with the final set for two days later. To advance to the final, Rojas will need a jump of 14.35 meters.

Her Rivals in Tokyo

Since surpassing the now-retired Colombian Catherine Ibargüen, Yulimar Rojas’ greatest competitor has been herself, and the championship in Japan will put her to the test again. Contrary to what some might think, she feels no fear in this comeback nor pressure knowing so many eyes will be on her.
“I’m not intimidated to go to the World Championships after two years without competing. I know I can jump far and I’m in a good place, both psychologically and physically,” said the Venezuelan.

Beyond personal vindication, Rojas comes to Tokyo to prove that the triple jump throne still belongs to her. To do so, she must outshine rivals who tried to seize the opportunity during her absence but still haven’t come close to her best mark (15.74 meters, set at the Belgrade 2022 World Championships).

Among her strongest challengers are Cubans Leyanis Pérez (bronze in Budapest and winner of three Diamond League events) and Liadagmis Povea (bronze in Paris 2024), who own this season’s two best marks at 14.93m and 14.84m, respectively.

She will also need to watch out for athletes who have reached the 15-meter mark, notably those who stood on the podium at Paris 2024: Thea LaFond (Dominica, gold, 15.02m), Shanieka Ricketts (Jamaica, silver, 15.03m in Eugene 2023), and Jasmine Moore (United States, bronze in Paris, 15.12m at the 2023 NCAA Championships). Other expected contenders in Tokyo include Ackelia Smith (Jamaica), Neja Filipic (Slovenia), and Caroline Joyeux (Germany).

“The injury taught me to listen to my body, to value my health, and to understand that true victory lies not only in competing but in getting back up again and again. I’m going to enjoy coming back, and just being here in Tokyo is already a great achievement—I’m happy,” assured Yulimar Rojas. “I feel that in this process I must deeply thank God for giving me strength on the darkest days, for holding me up when I felt I couldn’t go on. Also my family, for being my engine, for pushing me not to lose my smile, and for believing in my comeback even before I did.”

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The World Championships in Japan

From September 13 to 21, the Japanese capital welcomes more than 2,000 athletes representing 200 national delegations. They will compete in 49 events and fight for 147 medals. Among the major figures at this World Athletics Championships are Dominican Olympic champion in the 400m Marileidy Paulino, American sprinter Noah Lyles, and Swedish pole vault world record holder Armand “Mondo” Duplantis.

Yulimar Rojas leads the Venezuelan delegation, which also includes Ricardo Montes de Oca (pole vault, who did not advance past qualification), Leodan Torrealba (triple jump), and Magaly García (marathon).