‘It took a championship record’
Fraser-Pryce, Jackson proud despite missing World Champs top spot
Published:Tuesday | August 22, 2023 | 12:08 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
BUDAPEST, Hungary:
JAMAICA FINALLY celebrated medal success on day three of the World Athletics Championships yesterday.
What they also saw was the ascension of American Sha'Carri Richardson as the new women's World 100-metre champion, breaking the country's four-year hold on the World title.
Richardson clocked a championship record, 10.65 seconds, in her first World Championships final to take the prize after what has been a consistent season.
Shericka Jackson added another silver to her bag of World Championships medals, finishing second in 10.72, while five-time World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was third in a season's best 10.77.
Comparing her silver-medal performance from a year ago to last night, Jackson said she still felt she ran well, even if the result was not what she envisioned.
“I got a medal so I am grateful. For me, personally, I have to go back and watch the race,” she declared.
“I don't know the difference between last year and this year. I got a little faster, as I said a couple of days ago. I just wanted to put together a good 100m. I think I did pretty well, but not as I wanted to. But I still walked away with a medal,” Jackson said.
Richardson had a nervy wait in the Q Room when she finished third in the same semi-final heat with Jackson. But she said it fuelled her intention to do well in the final.
“Going into the final just knowing, qualifying, surviving each round, knowing that all the heavy hitters are going to bring their A game, so it helped me to pull out my best A game for myself as well. Sitting next to literal legends, it feels remarkable. I knew I had to come with it because they are going to come with it,” Richardson said.
“I'm honoured. I'm blessed. I had great competition. I pulled out the best in myself and I'm just honoured to leave with the gold medal.”
It was the United States' first women's 100-metre title in six years.
Fraser-Pryce said that given the difficulties of the season, she was proud to have kept her promise to fight to the line.
“It took a championship record to win tonight, so that is really remarkable. It wasn't the year that I wanted in terms of starting, but champions show up no matter what and prove to yourself that it is not what it seems. You just have to come out and fight and I am really happy that I came out here with a bronze medal,” Fraser-Pryce said.
Olympic 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment started the Jamaica medal collection, pouching silver in a season's best 13.07 seconds.
Defending World champion Grant Holloway made it a hat-trick of titles, winning in 12.96, while Daniel Roberts was third in 13.09.
It wasn't the night that Jamaica's world under-20 triple jump record holder Jaydon Hibbert wanted, as he withdrew from the men's final without registering a jump.
Hibbert suffered what was later reported to be a hamstring injury in the middle of his first attempt and despite treatment, passed on the other two available attempts, ending his competition.
Burkina Faso's Hugues Zango won the title with a hop, skip, and jump of 17.64 metres.
Fedrick Dacres, the 2019 World Championships silver medallist, was fifth in the men's discus final with 66.72 metres.
However, it was a difficult day for national champion Traves Smikle, who finished 11th with 61.90 metres.
Swede Daniel Stahl became a two-time World champion, with a championship record of 71.46m.
National champion Janieve Russell, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton and debutant Andrenette Knight all progressed to the women's 400m hurdles semi-finals with automatic qualifications.
In the men's equivalent, national champion Roshawn Clarke made it to his first final, smashing the World Under-20 record and setting a new national record of 47.34 to place second in his sem-final. Norway's world record holder Karsten Warholm won the semi in 47.09.
His former training partner, Jaheel Hyde, missed out on the final after placing fourth in the first semi-final in 48.49.
Candice McLeod was the lone Jamaican to advance to the women's 400m final, her time of 50.62 enough to qualify as one of two non-automatic qualifiers.