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Resurgent Forbes grateful for World Champs spot

Published:Sunday | July 9, 2023 | 12:16 AMRaymond Graham - Gleaner Writer
JAAA/PUMA National Senior and Junior Championships one-two-three finishers in the women’s 100 metres on Friday night inside the National Stadium, Shericka Jackson, Shashalee Forbes (left), and Natasha Morrison.
Ian Allen
JAAA/PUMA National Senior and Junior Championships one-two-three finishers in the women’s 100 metres on Friday night inside the National Stadium, Shericka Jackson, Shashalee Forbes (left), and Natasha Morrison.

FOUR YEARS ago, 27-year-old Shashalee Forbes represented the country in the women’s 200 metres at the Doha World Championships where she dropped out at the semifinal stage.

In one of the most competitive women’s 100 metres at the JAAA/PUMA National Senior and Junior Championships where several young turks were projected to dominate their senior counterparts, the veteran SprinTec athlete held her form well to produce second place and a personal best of 10.96 seconds, booking her individual spot for the Budapest World Championships.

Forbes, now the third-fastest Jamaican woman this season, was enjoying her second sub-11-second clocking after her second-place 10.98 seconds at the Bermuda World Athletics Continental Tour meet in May, and she was, naturally, delighted.

“I am very grateful for my performance. There are no words for the feeling at the moment and I am very happy for my second-place finish,” said Forbes.

According to Forbes, there was no pressure for her going into Trials, having done the hard work to achieve what she eventually did.

“I knew I put in the hard work going into the Trials and there was no pressure as it was just up to me to put it down on the track,” she said.

After dropping out in the 200 metres semifinal four years ago in Doha, Forbes is anxious for improvement.

“I want to better my performance of four years ago and I am very confident as I will just have to continue putting in the hard work.”

Forbes explained that the past three years have been tough for her because of injuries.

“It has been three years of frustration for me due to injuries but I have managed to overcome those injuries at the right time and this has resulted in me making the team once again,” she said.

There has been a resurgence for G.C. Foster College-based SprinTec athletes and Forbes is crediting her coaches for that.

“Credit to the coaching staff at SprinTec and trusting the process has really helped me a lot as there are positive people around me.”

Her coach, Maurice Wilson, was not surprised with her performance at Trials.

“I had hoped for a top-three finish from her, as I thought she could have run 10.8 seconds. I am really happy that she was able to make the team after four years,” said Wilson.