CARACAS, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan track and field stars garnered three gold medals on the opening day Friday of the U-23 South American Athletics Championship being held in Uruguay.
Day one of the event, which runs through Oct. 5 in Uruguay's capital Montevideo, saw Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas get the gold in the triple jump, while Genesis Rivera came in first in the hammer throw, and Robeilys Peinado won the top prize in the pole vault, the Venezuelan News Agency (AVN) said.
Rojas jumped 13.35 meters, defeating Brazilians Nubia Aparecida Soares (13.31m) and Claudia Paola Gimenes (12.81m), the silver and bronze winners, respectively.
Rivera's hammer throw, meanwhile, landed at 63.81 meters and Peinado reached a height of 3.90 meters in the pole vault.
Athletics has emerged as one of Venezuela's strongest sports in recent years, garnering awards for the country at international meets, including a junior world title won by Peinado in 2013.
Some 17 Venezuelan athletes are competing in nine different competitions at the South American tournament, with an eye to perfecting their skills for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada, and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.