BarcelonaLike a little girl who finds presents under the tree on Twelfth Night. This is how Yulimar Rojas (Caracas, Venezuela, 1995) looks at his gold medal, from which he does not separate during the entire interview. Hanging around her neck or playing with her hands, she always carries it with her. With some disbelief, the Barça athlete has not yet assumed that not only has he won gold in the triple jump at the Tokyo Olympics, but he has also managed to break the world record. His name will forever be in the history books. Back in Barcelona, the athlete attends ARA to relive what the most important Games of her career have been like for her and also to present her next big challenge.
How did you feel when you landed in Tokyo after all that has happened?
– After winning the silver medal in Rio, I was training non-stop to prepare for Tokyo. In 2020, with the Olympics about to arrive, I set the world indoor track record, but the global pandemic came and the Games were canceled. The road to the Olympic medal was long, but I kept training with the same desire to give it my all and not lose the desire to conquer the sky, to get to Tokyo and say “I’m here, I’ve waited more than five years and I can’t let it slip away, ”and so it was. Getting to Tokyo was amazing, all the precautions and preventative measures there were were a new fact for us, but the Olympic Village was spectacular. I really enjoyed seeing so many athletes in one place with the same passion and desire. The facilities for training, competing and walking and the treatment of the Japanese were very nice.
Did you expect it that way?
– Just by waiting for that moment and living it to the fullest, it is priceless. I think if I hadn’t won the gold medal I would have already been happy to have been able to go to such a long-awaited and atypical Games. It was said that they would not be made, and in the end they could be made. It was a great moment of happiness for all countries. Beyond the circumstances, sport was a means of livelihood for everyone. I’m so glad everything went so well and I was able to live that experience.
You hung up the medal and also broke the world record (15.67 meters). Your celebration with Ana Peleteiro thrilled all the spectators.
– I was not aware of what was happening at that time. I was assimilating that I had made the world record and I saw Ana screaming and crying with me as if she had won, she lived it as if it were a success of her own. That hug was one of the most beautiful moments of the Olympics. We are sisters of life, struggle, work and sacrifice. I think the fact that we were together in Tokyo after qualifying and giving it our all there, sharing the same passion and love for this sport, is what was reflected that day.
Now how do you remember that moment?
– After the jump I saw her screaming with open arms, and that made me go to hug her and then run out. There were many emotions together in one moment. I still don’t quite believe it, and I find it hard to describe the feeling. It is a special moment not only for me, but also for many people who were identified at that time. Sport strengthens these values of friendship, brotherhood and unity between different people so that the same dream comes true.
I feel 100% to jump the 16 meters ”
Have you assimilated everything you have achieved and that your name will always be in the history books?
– Not yet. I speak of it as if it were a normal thing, but I am very glad to be able to be a part of all that has been achieved. Not only was it me, here is a job of many years and many people who have been putting their grain of sand to get here. They have helped me in everything, on the good and bad days. Everything has been summed up in an Olympic medal and the world record, which I have rubbed for many years. Last year I was growing a lot and the pandemic slowed me down, and in 2019 I already saw that I was on the right track. This year almost everything is coming out perfect and I just need to win the Diamond League. I am happy because the goals I set myself were met. I am a young athlete and I still have a lot to give. We’ve been able to get to this point and I’m happy because I’m really enjoying everything I do.
Do you see nearby, jumping 16 meters?
– Yes, it is my most important goal right now. I’ve already met my goal of winning the Olympic medal, but now I feel like my potential is still growing and I think I can jump further. I try to work every day to improve, with a lot of enthusiasm, and I hope this leads me to jump beyond 16 meters. I feel 100% in every way and this will lead me to get what I want.
Being the first female athlete to win an Olympic medal for Barça must serve to make people see that women have the power to achieve what we set out to do. ”
With the medal hanging, how do you remember the Facebook message you wrote to Iván Pedroso so you could train?
– That moment on Facebook was the before and after of my life. I would never have imagined that since then, in 2015, everything that has happened would happen. He replied that he already knew me, and from that moment we connected and started working together. So many things have happened in five years … We have won a Pan American Championship, four World Gold Medals, the Silver Medal in Rio and the Gold Medal in Tokyo. Meeting Ivan is the best thing that has ever happened to me, not just as a coach. This medal is more than 50% yours. If I think about the past, I would not have imagined that in such a short time we would have achieved all this. I know we still have a lot to give and get. I hope that this union as a team will continue to move forward and give us many joys to everyone who feels identified with us.
You are a woman who has always meant herself in social struggles: politics, LGTBI rights, the role of women in sport … Does this medal give you even more power and legitimize your speech more?
– I have always been very open with what I think is fair or unfair. Rights must be above all and must always be respected. Being a pioneer in life makes you stronger to encourage others to keep fighting and not to be afraid. You should always think that you can achieve what you set out to do and desire from passion and love. You have to fight for your dreams and longings. Since my foundation, I want to help people who want to achieve their dreams and raise their voices. Being the first female athlete to win an Olympic medal for Barça must serve to make people see that women have the power to achieve what we set out to do and to enhance the value of women’s sport in any circumstance.
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