Caterine Ibarguen is set to defend her triple-jump Olympic title in Tokyo today. The Colombian won the gold medal at the Rio Games with a jump of 15.17m and thus improved on her silver medal she won at the London Games in 2012.
She’s not the first one to have an Olympic gold. So what makes her story so special?
Well, Ibarguen made her debut at the Athens Games in 2004, she had punched the ticket in the high-jump event. However, it ended in a disappointment as the then 24-year-old finished a low 30th in the final standings.
However, Ibarguen wasn’t going to relent in pursuing her dream to become an Olympic medalist. A clip, shared by the official handle of Olympics, charts how she bounced back from the Athens show eight years later in London and clinched a silver medal but in triple-jump.
Colombian triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen never gave up.After a rough start to her Olympic debut, Ibarguen changed her strategy on how to win gold. Now, she heads into #Tokyo2020 ready to defend her Olympic women’s triple jump title!@tripleCIbarguen @OlimpicoCol pic.twitter.com/5Vt6WWwy3O
— Olympics (@Olympics) August 1, 2021
However, that wasn’t the end.
Ibarguen wanted to change the colour of her medal. And she took another attempt in Rio Games where she fulfilled a life-long dream by winning gold in the triple-jump event.
“Colombian triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen never gave up," the tweet read.
“After a rough start to her Olympic debut, Ibarguen changed her strategy on how to win gold. Now, she heads into #Tokyo2020 ready to defend her Olympic women’s triple jump title!" it added.
The stirring video concludes with a message: Ibarguen’s story proves that you can change your plans without changing your goals.
Truly inspirational.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here