Rojas is first athlete to produce multiple 15-meter efforts in the same year since 2016, breaking one of three women’s meet records, the others courtesy of Jamaican stars Fraser-Pryce in the 200 and Thomas-Dodd in the shot put; Americans Hiltz and Winger also grab gold medals, with Brazil sweeping 4x100 relay titles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Prior to this summer, the world hadn’t witnessed a women’s 15-meter triple jumper since 2016.

Thanks to Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, there have been a pair of exceptional efforts in the past two months alone.

On the penultimate day of track and field competition at the 18th Pan American Games, Rojas produced the best performance of her career Friday, leaping a world-leading 49 feet, 7 inches (15.11m) on her fourth attempt to highlight a record-setting night for several athletes at Athletic Stadium in Lima, Peru.

Rojas not only surpassed her own Venezuelan national record of 49-5 (15.06m) from June 20 in Spain, she also eclipsed the all-time meet performance of 48-11.50 (14.92m) set in 2011 by Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen.

One of the most anticipated matchups of the meet was a potential showdown involving Rojas – the defending World champion – and Ibarguen, the reigning Olympic gold medalist. But Ibarguen decided not to compete in the triple jump after complaining of pain in her foot following a fifth-place finish in Tuesday’s long jump final.

That didn’t stop Rojas from elevating to the No. 16 all-time performer, in addition to becoming the first female athlete since Ibarguen in 2016 to produce multiple 15-meter efforts in the same year. Rojas’ personal best entering the year was 49-3.50 (15.02m) from 2016 in Spain, but it was the only 15-meter jump of her career.

Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica took silver with a sixth-round effort of 48-5.50 (14.77m) and Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea grabbed bronze with a second-round mark of 47-10.75 (14.60m).

Jamaican stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Danniel Thomas-Dodd took down two of the oldest women’s meet records less than 30 minutes apart.

After Fraser-Pryce won the 200-meter title in a wind-legal 22.43 seconds to capture the first gold by Jamaica in the event in meet history, Thomas-Dodd – the 2017 NCAA Division 1 champion at Kent State – produced a sixth-round effort of 64-1.75 (19.55m) in the shot put to also secure the first championship for her country at the Pan Am Games.

Fraser-Pryce eclipsed the 1979 meet record of 22.45 established by American Evelyn Ashford, with Thomas-Dodd surpassing the 1983 mark of 63-5.50 (19.34m) achieved by Cuba’s Maria Elena Sarria, a three-time gold medalist in the event.

Vitoria Cristina Rosa of Brazil, already with a bronze medal in the 100, earned silver in the 200 in 22.62 and former USC standout Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas placed third in 22.76.

Brittany Crew of Canada and American Jessica Ramsey added to an exciting sixth round in the shot put final, both producing their best marks on their final attempts. Crew took silver with an effort of 62-6.75 (19.07m), improving on her own Canadian national record, and Ramsey earned bronze with a 62-4.50 (19.01m) performance.

After securing only one title in the first three days of competition, the U.S. achieved a pair of championships Friday, with Kara Winger winning the women’s javelin throw and Nikki Hiltz prevailing in the women’s 1,500 meters.

Winger delivered a second-round throw of 213 feet (64.92m) to secure the sixth gold medal by the Americans in the event in meet history, including the first since Alicia DeShasier in 2011. Winger also became the only female athlete to win javelin throw gold at both the Pan Am Games and North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Championships.

Winger won the NACAC title in 2015, after securing silver at the Pan Am Games two weeks earlier.

Canada’s Elizabeth Gleadle, the 2015 winner, took second with a fifth-round mark of 207-8 (63.30m) and defending U.S. champion Ariana Ince grabbed bronze with a first-round effort of 204-5 (62.32m).

The women’s 1,500 final was another of the three events where the U.S. earned two medals, with Hiltz capturing the first title for the Americans in the event since Marla Runyan in 1999 and the seventh overall by clocking 4:07.14.

Aisha Praught Leer, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, achieved the highest finish by Jamaica in the event and just the country’s second overall medal in meet history by taking silver in 4:08.26. Alexa Efraimson earned a bronze medal for the U.S. in 4:08.63.

Following a fourth-place finish in the 1,500 in 4:10.53, Mexico’s Laura Galvan Rodriguez was back on the track less than an hour later in the 5,000 final, winning the championship in 15:35.47, the fifth-all-time gold for her country, including the first since Marisol Romero in 2011.

Canada’s Jessica O’Connell took second in 15:36.08 and American Kim Conley placed third in 15:36.95.

Alex Quinonez made history for Ecuador, achieving the country’s first medal of any kind in the men’s 200, running 20.27 into a headwind to capture the title. Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago secured silver in 20.38 and Yancarlos Martinez of the Dominican Republic earned bronze in 20.44.

Cuba’s Luis Zayas won the men’s high jump with a second-attempt clearance at 7-6.50 (2.30m), the first gold for his country since 2007 and sixth overall, with Canada’s Michael Mason achieving his second straight Pan Am silver medal by clearing 7-5.75 (2.28m). Mexico’s Roberto Vilches, who competes for Missouri, was the bronze medalist with a 7-5 (2.26m) clearance.

Brazil won the longest event of the night, as well as sweeping both of the sprint relays.

Ederson Vilela Pereira captured the men’s 10,000 title in 28:27.47, the first gold in the event for Brazil since 2011 and third overall. Americans Reid Buchanan (28:28.41) and Lawi Lalang (28:31.75) finished second and third.

Brazil also swept both 4x100 relays for the first time since 2011, with the men clocking 38.27 to hold off Trinidad and Tobago (38.46) and the U.S. (38.79). Brazil earned only its second women’s 4x100 championship in meet history, running 43.04 to prevail against Canada (43.37) and the U.S. (43.39).