Injury-riddled season fuelling triple jump charge
Published:Friday | August 25, 2023 | 12:06 AM- Daniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter -
BUDAPEST, Hungary
Both Kimberly Williams and two-time World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts have had to battle injury-plagued campaigns just to make it to Budapest.
And when both step into the National Athletics Centre for the women's triple jump final today at 12:38 p.m Jamaica time, they will be hoping that the journeys they have been forced to take will culminate in rewarding success.
Both Williams and Ricketts needed only one jump to advance to the finals, leaping to 14.30m and 14.67m, respectively.
For Williams, she is just happy to be back in the final, her eighth global championship. It is more significant as she was ready to call time on the year after an ankle injury left her campaign in serious jeopardy
"It's been a journey, so I am thankful to be here, and I am just soaking it up. If you had told me in June that I would be here right now, I would have laughed in your face," Williams said. "Because in June I was ready to call it a season because my ankle was falling off the bone. But I got patched up and did some work a couple of weeks before we got here."
For Ricketts, she has managed injuries before but never at this level, where it would creep up at odd times. However, she said that getting her farthest first-round effort at a global championship has given her confidence.
"I feel like this season was really testing. I have had injuries before, but with the heel problem, sometimes it seems like it goes away and then it comes back. And so to be able to manage that well and peak at the right time, which I have always spoken about, I think everything is falling into place," Ricketts said. "It felt excellent. The jump didn't feel as big because I could feel a few technical errors, so I had to work on executing the jump as best as possible."
Ricketts felt healthy although the technique will take some more work, but she is pleased that in her most trying season, she is rounding into form at the right time.
"This is the biggest first-round effort I ever had at any major championship. So I am excited to see what today has in store. I am optimistic and I am going out there to do my best."