Rojas Succeeds While Ibarguen Struggles in Triple Jump at the Port

By Adam Kopet

The main program of the Monaco Diamond League meeting does not start until Friday, but fans got a sneak preview with a street triple jump on Port Hercule, the port of Monaco. Surrounded by yachts and wealthy residents of Monaco, some of the best jumpers in the world competed in the Diamond League event.

RESULTS

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela won with a jump of 49-1.75 (14.98m) after overcoming struggles in the first and second rounds. She fouled her opening jump and then only managed a mark of 43-7 (13.28m) in the second round. At the time, that ranked her last in the competition and in a position where she risked only getting three jumps, as only the top-eight jumpers after the third round would continue in the competition.

Rojas was able to put all the pieces together in the third round. She jumped out to 49-1 (14.96m), giving her the chance at three more jumps and putting her into the lead.

In the fourth round, Rojas had her wining jump. She went on to foul her last two attempts. However, that did not matter. Rojas easily outdistanced Cuba's Liadagmis Povea, who finished second with a best of 48-3.25 (14.71), and Jamaica's Shanieka Ricketts, who finished third with a leap of 48-1.75 (14.67m).

Colombia's Caterine Ibarguen, who won last week in Lausanne, struggled throughout the competition. Like Rojas, she fouled her opening jump. Ibarguen's third-round jump of 47-0.25 (14.33m) was enough to move her up to sixth, but she would not improve with her final three jumps. This was Ibarguen's lowest finish in a triple jump competition since 2009.

Also struggling was Keturah Orji. She finished ninth, missing the chance to compete in the final three rounds, with a best of 46-7.25 (14.20m).

It should be noted this was the deepest women's triple jump competition outside a major championships. Never before had 11 women jumped beyond 14 meters in an invitational competition. That changed Thursday with Spain's Ana Peleteiro finishing 11th with a jump of 46-6 (14.17m).