Eugene, July 22: Shericka Jackson gave the Jamaican women another gold medal in the sprints on Thursday night, capturing the 200-metre title at the world championships in the second-fastest time in history, 21.45 seconds.
Jackson crossed 0.16 seconds ahead of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100 four nights earlier. Defending champion Dina Asher-Smith brought another medal back to Britain – the only of the six women’s sprint medals not heading back to Jamaica this year.
Seconds after the win, Usain Bolt tweeted “Brilliant” with two Jamaican flags to represent the evening’s medal haul.
Jackson’s time was second only to one of the most hallowed marks on the books – the 21.34 by Florence Griffith-Joyner at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. It blew away the old world-championship record of 21.63 set by Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands.
Jackson adds this to her silver medal from Sunday night in the 100, and a pair of bronze medals she won in the 400 at worlds in 2015 and 2019.
She came into worlds with the fastest time in 2022, 21.55, though the victory has been building for longer than that. At last year’s Olympics, Jackson missed the final after miscalculating in the curve, where she slowed up and finished fourth in her preliminary heat.
She called it a silly mistake and said it was all the fuel she needed to stay motivated for the championships this year. (AP)
