Triple Jump, Women

Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas was the defending gold medalist and world record holder, but she would not be in Paris to defend her title, having torn her Achilles’ tendon in early 2024 and underwent surgery. This left the event wide open with no clear favorite.

The main challengers were expected to be Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez, who was world-ranked #2 in 2023 (behind Rojas), had won gold at the 2023 Pan American Games, and a bronze medal at the World Championships; and Dominica’s Thea LaFond, winner of the World Indoor Championships earlier in 2024, and the silver medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Also considered for a podium position was Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, a former long jumper who was the silver medalist at the 2023 World Championships and had won the 2022 European Championships.

Pérez led the qualifying with Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts in second, followed by American Jasmine Moore in third. LaFond and Bekh-Romanchuk made the final but qualified only seventh and eighth.

In the final, Pérez led after the first round with 14.62 metres, with Ricketts just behind her at 14.61. Round two settled the competition and the medals, as Lafond went 15.02 metres, which would hold up for gold. Ricketts jumped 14.87 metres in the second round and Moore claimed bronze with 14.67 metres. Pérez never improved on her first jump and finished fifth, while Bekh-Romanchuk never got going, did not make the final three jumps, and finished 11th.

LaFond’s gold medal was the first medal ever won at the Olympics by Dominica, in any sport, which first competed in 1996. From age seven to 13, LaFond studied to be a dancer but had to quit because her family could no longer afford the expense. She switched to volleyball and then athletics. Moore also competed in the long jump in Paris and, five days later, added another bronze medal in that event.