Shericka Jackson of Jamaica Withdraws from 200m Race, Will Not Compete for Individual Olympic Medal
SAINT-DENIS, France — Female sprinter Shericka Jackson has withdrawn from the women’s 200 meters event on Sunday and will not be competing for an individual medal at the Paris Games.
Jackson, who is the current world champion and the second-fastest woman in the 200 meters event, had previously pulled out of the 100 meters event, citing a leg injury sustained during a warm-up race last month. It remains unclear why she decided to withdraw from Sunday’s race.
This development now positions American Gabby Thomas as the frontrunner to win the 200 meters event. Thomas easily advanced through her qualifying round with a time of 22.20 seconds, as did Julien Alfred, who clocked a time of 22.41 just 13 hours after defeating Sha’Carri Richardson in the 100 meters event.
Jackson’s withdrawal is another setback for the Jamaican female athletes, who have historically been a dominant force in Olympic track and field, winning 15 out of 24 medals in the 100 and 200 meters events between 2008 and 2021.
None of the sprinters who swept the 100-meter event in Tokyo from Jamaica are competing in Paris. Elaine Thompson-Herah, who won gold in both the 100 and 200 meters, ended her season early this year due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Just moments before the 100-meter semifinal on Saturday night, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce withdrew from the event due to an undisclosed injury, expressing her disappointment on social media.
Jackson, who set a time of 21.41 seconds to win last year’s world championships, just narrowly missing Florence Griffith Joyner’s world record by 0.07 seconds, ran a slower time of 22.29 seconds at the Jamaican Olympic trials in June.
Her form was further cast into doubt when she pulled out of a 200-meter race in Hungary on July 9, failing to finish the race. This raised concerns about her readiness for the Olympics, which were less than a month away.
___
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games