Olympic Games Paris 2024. “God has a very big plan for me”, despite his withdrawal from the Games, Yulimar Rojas will be the flag bearer of Venezuela

Yulimar Rojas sera présente à Paris malgré sa blessure. XinHua – Wang Lili

Forfait sur blessure pour les Jeux Olympiques de Paris 2024, la triple sauteuse vénézuélienne Yulimar Rojas sera néanmoins la porte-drapeau de son pays lors de la cérémonie d’ouverture.

Forfeited for the competition, Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, gold medalist at Tokyo-2021 and seven-time world champion (outdoor and indoor), will nevertheless be the flag bearer of the delegation of Venezuela during the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The 28-year-old athlete will be accompanied by weightlifter Julio Mayora, silver medalist in Tokyo and who is aiming for gold in Paris. "God has a very big plan for me. I am destined to guide other athletes to pursue their dreams, to never give up", she said during a ceremony in Caracas.

Rojas was the biggest medal chance

Silver medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Rojas, a true star in her country, was Venezuela's biggest chance of a medal, whose delegation will be made up of 28 athletes in Paris.

The main chances of medals now rest on the shoulders of Mayora and fencers including Ruben Limardo, Olympic champion in London in 2012. In Tokyo, Venezuela obtained a gold medal (Rojas) , and three silvers (2 weightlifting and 1 BMX) with 43 athletes present.