Athletics: Rojas leaps to triple jump gold

Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela competes in the women's triple jump. PHOTO: REUTERS

PORTLAND, Oregon (AFP) - Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas cruised to victory in the women's triple jump at the World Indoor Athletics championships on Saturday.

The 20-year-old rising star of the discipline fouled on five of her six jumps but registered 14.41m on her second attempt at the Oregon Convention Centre.

That effort was good enough to assure Rojas of gold with no other competitor threatening her mark.

Germany's Kristin Gierisch took silver with a best jump of 14.30m on her fifth effort while Paraskevi Papahristou of Greece grabbed bronze with 14.15m.

Rojas has been out on her own this season, setting a world-leading indoor mark of 14.69 in Madrid in January and 14.63 last month.

The tall Venezuelan has been training under the guidance of legendary Cuban long jumper Ivan Pedroso, the 2000 Olympic and four-time world champion.

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