Maria Jose Rojas

Happy monumental birthday to Costa Rican vertical-jumps talent María José Rojas, who has built an unusually impressive foundation in both the high jump and pole vault before turning 18. María José opened 2026 by clearing 1.60m in the high jump and 2.70m for second in the open pole vault at the same interregional meet, then added a silver medal at the Costa Rican U20 Championships in the high jump.

Her history in the pole vault goes back even further. María José won the Costa Rican U18 title with a 2.80m clearance while still only 14, demonstrating the courage and technical patience required for one of athletics’ most demanding events. Competing seriously in either vertical jump is difficult enough. Developing the speed, timing and confidence to succeed in both makes her a particularly fascinating young athlete to follow.

At 18, María José already has national titles, championship medals and years of experience learning two events in which progress comes one carefully earned centimeter at a time. There is still an enormous amount of height left for her to discover.

¡Feliz cumpleaños, María José! Mucha salud, mucha alegría y que sigás volando cada vez más alto, con y sin pértiga. ¡Pura vida! 🎂🎁🎉🫶🫶🇨🇷