WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

Despite having not competed since August shortly after claiming her first world outdoor crown in London, Yulimar Rojas defended her global indoor title with a remarkable 14.63m world leading-performance.

In a thrilling contest which saw the medalists swap positions during the tense final minutes, the 22-year-old Venezuelan’s mammoth leap is the furthest mark indoors since her own 14.79m 14 months ago, and the gold medal solidifies her return to world-class competition with a bang.

With a consistent series of 14.24m, 14.07m and 14.27m in the opening rounds, the 2016 winner was pushed to unleash a 14.36m jump to head back into the bronze medal position, before bounding to her glorious 14.63m which comfortably propelled her straight back into the top spot – with a loud, admiring gasp from the crowd, together with an excited shout of excitement from Rojas herself.

Guided by 2000 Olympic long jump champion, Ivan Pedroso in Madrid, the Olympic silver medalist jumped only twice last winter before flying to a 14.79m outdoor lifetime best again proving that the winning spring in her step never usually requires much waking up.

The winner revealed afterwards:

“This is a great achievement for my nation, I hope I brought a bit of joy for them and they enjoyed watching it.

“Thanks to God, thanks to my family and my federation. I trained so hard for this, it’s hard to find the words to describe my feelings.

“It was a difficult competition and it has given me great inspiration for the summer.”

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams led until Rojas’ fifth round upset with a 14.48m lifetime best from the third round.

The 29-year-old bronze medalist from the 2014 event also improved her 14.16m season’s best – set here as a guest of the British Championships a fortnight ago – on five occasions in this, an event which fielded 17 starters.

With 14.37m and 14.41m before her best mark, the often Birmingham-based athlete could only respond to Rojas with 14.31m and 14.32m, respectively.

Coached by Aston Moore, Williams’ personal best progressed from 14.39m from her global bronze in in Sopot, and the Olympic seventh placer was ranked only eighth coming into the competition, such was her improvement in her silver-lined final.

Williams reflected:

“I’m excited as I was able to upgrade on my jump from bronze last time to silver. I had two personal bests out there so I’m glad I put a decent series together.

“I was leading for a while but I couldn’t respond, that’s just how it goes in triple jump – I have to work harder next time to get a gold. My heart is going crazy and I’m trying to calm down but it’s exciting.”

Taking a surprise bronze medal was Spain’s Ana Peleteiro, who leapt a 18cm lifetime best with 14.40m in the fourth round.

The 22-year-old European under-23 silver medalist had a conservative start but shot into the top eight with 14.18m on her third attempt, before her fourth leap took her into the medals.

The 2012 world junior champion was seventh in London and exceed her fifth place ranking ahead of the championship to claim her first senior major international championship medal.

She exclaimed afterwards:

“Happy, happy, happy – that is how I am feeling, I am so emotional. Spain is in a difficult time at the moment, it needs to be changed – our government needs help from our athletes.

“This is a great moment for my town and my family. It was a wonderful experience but it was a hard competition. I feel delighted to be able to compete with these girls.”

In fourth place, Romania’s European under-23 champion, Elena Andreea Panturoiu equalled her 14.33m personal best on her fourth attempt to improve upon her fifth position in the 2016 edition. For a time, that distance held the silver medal spot.

A 14.53mA world leader coming into the event, Keturah Orji of the USA leapt 14.31m in the penultimate round to finish in the fifth position, one place down on her 2016 placing.

The 21-year-old American record holder and Olympic fourth placer also briefly held the runner up spot, and enjoyed a strong series including 14.13m, 14.07m and 14.28m.

Greece’s Paraskevi Papahristou – the 2016 bronze medalist could only reach 14.05, for sixth whilst Viktoriya Prokopenko – an authorised neutral athlete – jumped the same distance and took seventh position.

America’s Tori Franklin registered a 14.03m to finish in eighth.