Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas sets new women’s triple jump world record

Venezuela’s two-time world champion Yulimar Rojas set a new world record as she won Olympic gold in the women’s triple jump on Sunday.

Rojas jumped 15.67 metres on her sixth and final jump in Tokyo, smashing the previous best of 15.50m set by Ukraine’s Inessa Kravets in 1995.

It was the first world record of the Tokyo Olympics athletics programme.

Portugal’s Patricia Mamona won silver with a national best of 15.01m.

Spain’s Ana Peleteiro jumped 14.87, also a national record, on her fifth attempt to deny Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts bronze by three centimetres.

Rojas won world titles in 2017 and 2019 and took a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.