‘Best series I have had in my career’

BUDAPEST, Hungary:

Even “the best series of jumps of my life”, a season’s best and a successful if ultimately worthless protest were not enough to keep Shanieka Ricketts on the podium as phenomenal world record holder Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas (15.08 metres) claimed gold in the women’s triple jump at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary yesterday.

Jamaican finalists, Ricketts and Kimberly Williams, conjured up their best performances of the year but, in a high-quality competition, where the first five were all over 14.90m, it wasn’t quite enough to add to the nation’s medal tally.

Ricketts was superb from the start, launching her bid with an opening leap of 14.92m to stand in bronze medal position at the end of round one.

Her next three attempts were all within 14 centimetres (cm) of that mark and then a final effort took her out to season’s best 14.92 – just 6cm short of her lifetime best – but still an agonising 4cm short of Cuban Leyanis Perez Hernandez in third place.

“This is the best series I have had in my career, although I was definitely hoping to make 15 metres tonight.

“It was not on the table but none the less I’m grateful to finish healthy and to walk away with a season’s best is a plus and it’s always an honour to represent Jamaica.” Ricketts said.

PROTEST

She added: “I had a protest about the measurement of my final jump because my coach felt it was bigger than the figure that came up.

“We went to the (judges) room to get verification and they gave me another centimetre (which made no difference to the placings).

“To be able to perform at a high level in the championships year after year is a blessing.”

Rojas nearly didn’t make the mid-series cut as the defending champion and undisputed global number one was struggling to get into the top eight in her first three attempts and only her second best jump, after an initial foul, pushed the Venezuelan superstar into the leading eight who contest the final three rounds.

“I never underestimate any of my competitors – Rojas is quality and Thea Lafond (Dominica) also went past me in the fifth round,” concluded reigning Commonwealth champion Ricketts, who finished fourth through her prodigious final jump of 14.93m.

Williams, who admitted being close to not make it due to an ongoing ankle injury, began steadily before climbing the leader board to finish seventh with her third round effort of 14.32cm.

The 34-year old twice Commonwealth champion prior to Ricketts, reflected:

“The first two jumps weren’t that good because I wasn’t running properly but I made it to the top eight with my third, as I didn’t want to go out with the other girls.

“I really gave it my best today, despite everything that has been going on, and I was really thankful that I was able to go out there and step on to that runway, then get a season’s best

“I didn’t compete at the National Championships because my doctor said that I needed to take eight to 12 weeks to recover, so I’m grateful for everything that comes my way. I hope my ankle can hold up for the rest of the season as God has a plan for me but, hey, I need Him to do it asap because I’m getting tired,” she said with a smile.

Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (15.00m) led for much of the competition before having to settle for silver when Rojas unleashed her sixth round leap for glory.