9. CATERINE IBARGUEN
A delight to watch any day, this Colombian damsel has thus far bestrode the women’s Triple Jump like a colossus, having remained unbeaten in 29 competitions since she took Silver at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The 31-year old successfully defended three international crowns this year. First was the Pan American Games title which she won for the second consecutive time, no doubt a major confidence booster ahead of the World Championships.
True to prediction, she successfully retained the GOLD medal with a Season’s Best (SB) of 14.90m, before ending the year with her third successive Diamond League trophy. The South American record holder was recently voted as the Best athlete in Latin America alongside Usain Bolt, beating the likes of 2015 world’s fastest woman, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Cuban Pole vaulter Yarisley Silva to win the award.
Ibarguen plans to retire after next year’s Olympic Games to start a family and complete her nursing training. Striking GOLD in Rio would be the perfect climax for this remarkable jumper whose achievements cannot be forgotten in a hurry.
