Sensational Shericka
Jackson clocks brilliant championships record to win 200m gold
Published:Friday | July 22, 2022 | 12:15 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
EUGENE, Oregon:
The World finally belongs to Shericka Jackson. And with it, her ascension to the elite levels of sprinting is complete.
In her second year running the half-lap event at the senior level, the 28-year-old put on an all-time best performance, winning the women's world 200 metres title, her first major global title in a championship and national record time of 21.45 seconds, making her the second fastest woman of all time at the distance.
Five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was second in a season's best time of 21.81 adding a 13th World Championships medal to her collection. Former World Champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain came third in 22.02. There was no Jamaican sweep this time as double sprint Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was seventh in 22.39.
“I am feeling great. I wanted to come out here and put on a show and I did this just that - fastest woman alive, national record and a personal best, I can't complain,” Jackson told Television Jamaica after the race.
The two medals lifted Jamaica's tally at the meet to six – two gold, three silver and a bronze. They are third in the standings. The medal table is headed by the United States with 22 - seven gold, six silver and nine bronze.
Coach Stephen Francis said that Jackson's curve running has made the difference this season and she showed that after Fraser-Pryce got off to a fast start in the first half of the race. The Tokyo Olympics first-round elimination last year faded into the distance as Jackson ran the curve with precision moving swiftly past Fraser-Pryce and everyone else to make her first world individual championship title a memorable experience.
Jackson now joins the company of Fraser-Pryce and fellow Vere Technical High alumnus Veronica Campbell Brown and Merlene Ottey as Jamaican women who have won the World 200m title.
In the men's 200m final Noah Lyles defended his World title in a world-leading time of 19.31, leading an American sweep which included Kenneth Bednarek who came in second in 19.77 and Erriyon Knighton who was third in 19.80.
The eighth day of the championships saw Adelle Tracey and Natoya Goule book their spots in tonight's semi-finals of the 800m which is scheduled for 8:35 p.m. Tracey finished third in her first round heat in a personal best time of 1:59.20 minutes Tracey said that she wanted to leave no doubt in her favourite event after not making it to the final of the 1500m.
PROGRESS
“I just wanted to come here and leave it all out there. There was a little bit of frustration from the 1500m. Obviously, I was pleased with the progress that I have made. It was the first time that I was doing the 1500m. But this is more familiar territory to me. And I am excited that the strength from the 1500m is showing up in the 800m,” Tracey said.
Goule won her first-round heat in 2:00.06 and she said that wanted to ensure a favourable semi-final position.
“I haven't run since the National Championship so I am kind of rusty so you would be feeling a little tightness. (But) I felt very comfortable. Top three is great but when you win you are seeded better in the semi-finals. So I wanted to go out there and do my very best to make it to the next round,” Goule said.
National champion Chrisann Gordon Powell narrowly missed out on a non-automatic qualifying place after clocking 2:01.91 in her first-round heat to finish fifth.
Jordan Scott did not advance to the final of the men's triple jump as his best effort of 16.42m on his final attempt was not enough to make the top eight.