Yann Caradec from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0

Yulimar Rojas was the first Venezuelan to be named Female Athlete of the Year

 January 11, 2021

by Veronica Soto Rincon

Yulimar Rojas is a synonym for success. She was a 'never-seen-before' athlete, a woman who was born to succeed and reach the top of the world of sports.

The female athlete from Caracas, Venezuela is the pupil of the iconic Cuban athlete Iván Pedroso, with whom she trains in Spain.

Yulimar, a four-time triple jump world champion, Olympic medalist in Rio and signed for the Barcelona team (athletics), is in her prime time.Awarded 

Awarded best female athlete in the world

She has received an award that no other Venezuelan athlete had achieved: Female Athlete of the Year, an award consigned by World Athletics.

Yulimar, after receiving the news, could not believe what happened. “I have no words. It is such a joy. I’m so happy,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it. I did not expect this; I saw my future self among the candidates for what we had done in the year, but I did not expect to be the winner.”

Soaring to great heights

Yulimar Rojas, born in the rural areas of Caracas – capital city of the south American country of Venezuela – is the main candidate for a gold medal at the next Olympic Games.

Yulimar, Rubén Limardo, Antonio Díaz, and others, make up a group of Venezuelan athletes on their way to compete at the highest level of sport.

Yulimar already knows what it is like to be on the podium at the Olympics. In 2016, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Yulimar won the silver medal for the pride of an entire country that closely followed her participation.

A dream come true

“The World Athletics award gives me a lot of motivation, a lot of strength for me to keep on track with my career,” she said. “Dreams do come true and this was really a dream to be the best athlete in the world and becoming part of the book of world legends. It makes me so happy.”

The outstanding award received by the Venezuelan Yulimar is awarded to the athletes with the best performance in the season, both male and female. They are elected by the World Athletics itself and the International Athletic Foundation.

Yulimar is the first Venezuelan woman to receive this award and the second South American female to win Athlete of the Year.

She has set an example of success among women, demonstrating what we are capable of achieving with discipline, talent and perseverance.