Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson has thrown down the gauntlet to her rivals at next month’s World Athletics Championships with outstanding performances in the shorts sprints at the just concluded JAAA/PUMA National Senior and Junior Championships in Kingston.
Jackson, the 100m silver-medalist and 200m gold medalist at last year’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, established world leads of 10.65 seconds in the 100m and 21.71 seconds in the 200m.
However, American Gabby Thomas later erased the 200m world lead with a smashing 21.60 seconds in her final at the US Championships in Oregon.
The 29-year-old Jackson, who won bronze medals in the 400m at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and the 2015 and 2019 World Athletics Championships, has been a revelation since switching to the shorter sprints.
Last Friday she blazed the track inside the National Stadium in Kingston when she executed a bullet-like start before powering away from the field to establish a new personal best of 10.65 seconds, leaving the rest of the field in her wake, including back-to-back Olympics sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.
The MVP athlete bettered the previous world lead and personal best of 10.71 seconds established by American rising star Sha’Carri Richardson in the heats of the US Championships last Thursday.
Their performances so far this year have set the stage for a fascinating 100m in Hungary, especially after the world got the chance to see reigning 100m World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, who made her seasonal bow in the 200m at the Jamaican Championships, appearing in good shape carrying her speed for a long way.
If Jackson was good in the 100m then she was just as impressive in the 200m on Sunday night.
She blazed off the turn to straighten in the lead before pulling clear of Fraser Pryce for the then world lead time. Fraser Pryce was well clear for the silver medal position in 22.26 seconds, with newcomer Lanae-Tava Thomas third in 22.55 seconds.
A few hours later inside Hayward Field on the US West Coast, Thomas blew past Richardson, who was seeking a sprint double, to win in a personal best and meet record 21.60 seconds, well clear of Richardson in a personal best 21.94 seconds, with Kayla White third in 22.01 seconds, also a personal best.
Like in the 100m, the 200m at the World Championships is also expected to be one of the main highlights of the meet with the world’s finest sprinters poised to put on a showpiece.
Though establishing herself as the main attraction at present, Jackson was by no means the only athlete who staked a claim to be a major contender for top honours in Hungary.
Rasheed Broadbell ran a world leading and personal best 12.94 seconds to defeat reigning Olympic Games champion Hansle Parchment in the men’s 110m hurdles final.
Parchment clocked 13.12 seconds and Orlando Bennet was third in 13.19 seconds.
And 18-year-old Jaydon Hibbert posted 17.68m to easily win the triple jump contest. The world leader with 17.87m which was set in May, executed just four jumps before passing on his last two.
It will be interesting to see if the Under-20 silver medalist can carry over his form when competing against the world’s best next month.
National Record holder in the shot put, Danniel Thomas-Doddd threw 19.08m to retain her National title in a year where she has demonstrated admirable consistency.
Now ranked number four in the world, Thomas-Dodd easily brushed aside Lloydricia Cameron who had a best throw of 16.37m. It is interesting to note that Thomas-Dodd has recorded five of her 10 best throws this year.
Two-time IAAF World Athletics Championships triple jump silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts easily turned back the challenge of Ackelia Smith to land gold in her pet event with a wind-aided (2.6mps) 14.79m.
Smith cut the sand at 14.26m with Imani Oliver (13.44m) finishing in third place.
Ricketts displayed improvement having recently recovered from a bruised heel.
In a very competitive long jump final, Wayne Pinnock cut the sand at 8.32m to land gold ahead of 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle (8.27m) and Carey McLeod (8.20m).
Pinnock opened with a jump of 7.23m before his 8.32m in the second attempt, followed by an 8.31m and 8.23m effort. He passed on his last two jumps.
Gayle, meanwhile, opened with his best effort before fouling on the next three attempts. He had 8.20m on his fifth and fouled his last effort as he continued to struggle with his speed on the runway.
All three are expected to be in Hungary for the World Athletics Championships, having attained the 8.25m qualifying standard.
The men’s 400m hurdles also resulted in a major upset as teenager Roshawn Clarke of Swept Track Club became the second fastest Jamaican over the distance when he clocked a superb 47.85 seconds to dethrone Jaheel Hyde (48.45 seconds) and Assinie Wilson of Titans Track Club in 48.50 seconds.
Clarke, the Austin Sealy Award winner at the 2023 Carifta Games, thus became the World Junior Record holder and the fourth fastest time in the world this year.
Winthrop Graham’s 47.60 seconds set in 1993 is the National Record.
The women’s equivalent proved to be a most competitive affair as defending champion Janieve Russell obliged in an event in which the first four runners went below 54 seconds.
The MVP athlete timed her effort to perfection to win in 53.75 seconds, ahead of Andrenette Knight (PUMA) in 53.78 seconds, and Rushell Clayton (53.81 seconds) of Elite Performance who led in tear-away fashion.
Fourth place went to the fast-finishing Shiann Salmon (ADIDAS) in 53.97 seconds. There appears to be depth in quality as a number of Jamaicans are ranked in the world’s top 10.
And Sean Bailey, brother of sprint legend Veronica Campbell Brown, obliged in the men’s 400m in 44.48 seconds, just ahead of Antonio Watson who clocked 44.54 seconds. IF this duo replicates its early season form then a semi-final placing should at least be a live possibility.
Reigning Olympic Games bronze medalist Megan Tapper chalked up yet another national title when she led from start to finish in the women’s 100m hurdles final.
The pocket-sized athlete won in 12.64 seconds ahead of Ackera Nugent in 12.67 seconds and 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams in 12.82 seconds.
The Jamaicans have a decent history at the elite level and they are expected to prove competitive yet again, especially with Tapper managing a personal best of 12.44 seconds during the championships.
There is also good potential in the men’s discus. Traves Smikle of Reckless Control had a best throw of 66.12m to better Roje Stona with 65.92m and Smikle’s teammate and National Record holder Fedrick Dacres (70.78m) with 65.79m.
All three had already attained the qualifying standard of 67m and on their day could push for a medal.
And in the men’s 100m sprint, a number of new faces impressed, even if they are short of consistency and proven quality.
Rohan Watson created a massive upset when he registered a new personal best 9.91 seconds (1.1mps) to upstage his more fancied rivals.
Watson got out of the blocks in good order but was left behind early. However, he lifted his knees over the closing 30 meters and clawed his way to the front to beat Ryiem Forde of Adidas in 9.96 seconds and pre-race favourite Oblique Seville third in 10 seconds.
Highly fancied Ackeem Blake could fare no better than fourth in 10.01 seconds after battling Forde on the lead for most of the way.
It is important to note that Kishane Thompson of MVP had clocked a surprising 9.91 seconds in the preliminary round on Thursday, but failed to show for the semi-finals a day later.
Kadrian Goldson of G C Foster College had also gone under 10 seconds when he posted 9.94 seconds in the preliminary, beating the eventual gold medalist Watson in 9.98 seconds.
The fact that so many young guns went sub-10 seconds augurs well for Jamaica’s resurgence in men’s sprinting on the world stage. It might just be a tag too early for these potentials to turn into genuine stars.
It’s now left to the selectors to name the Jamaican team to the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, next month, but as usual, Jamaica is expected to showcase its talents for all the world to see.
