‘The world record is within reach’

TODAY COULD turn out to be very special for Jamaica’s track and field star Shericka Jackson.

A very confident Jackson, the world 200 metres champion and fastest female alive in the half-lap event, spoke to the media at a press conference yesterday on the eve of the penultimate Diamond League meet of the season, the 47th Allianz Memorial Van Damme. “The world record is within reach,” Jackson said.

With the temperature expected to be around 30 degrees centigrade, Jackson thinks the conditions will be right. “This is Jamaica weather and this is ideal for sprinters,” said Jackson.

Jackson said if the conditions were perfect in Budapest she could have broken the 21.34 seconds world record in the 200m final. “With a little more help from the wind I could have broken the world record. I am physically and mentally ready and definitely the world record is within reach. I am knocking at the door,” she added.

Before a big race Jackson usually writes down the time she expects to run, and she was asked what time she had written down for the event today. “I am yet to write down a time because I am yet to receive my bib number for the race,” she said with a smile.

Today’s meet will be the last chance for athletes looking to make next weekend’s Diamond League finals in Eugene.

Eleven Jamaicans will be in action today and six have already qualified for Eugene while three others, Natasha Morrison and Elaine Thompson Herah in the women’s 100 metres, and Andrenette Knight in the women’s 400m hurdles, can advance with top performances today.

A win for either athlete in the 100 metres will boost their chances. Morrison is in 12th place with seven points and a win will add eight points and 15 overall. With 15 points, Morrison will end up joint eighth with Gina Luckenkemper of Germany.

A win may not be enough for Thompson Herah, who is in 13th spot on six points. She can only end on 14 points, and Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand on 11 points just needs to finish in the top five today to remain ahead of Thompson Herah.

Rushell Clayton, second on 30 points, and Janieve Russell, third with 23, are already through to next week’s finals in the 400m hurdles. Knight is in 12th position with seven points and a second-place finish today in the event will be good enough. She will then end up on 14 points and eighth place overall.

In yesterday’s women’s shot put final Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd finished seventh with 18.88m. World champion Chase Ealey of the United States won with 20.05m. Sarah Mitton of Canada took second with 19.76m while American Maggie Ewen was third with 19.04m.

Schedule for Jamaicans

1:04 p.m: Women’s 400m – Candice McLeod

1:36 p.m: Women’s 100m – Elaine Thompson Herah, Shashalee Forbes, Natasha Morrison

1:41 p.m: Women’s triple jump: Shanieka Ricketts, Kimberly Williams

1:46 p.m: Women’s 400mH – Rushell Clayton, Andrenette Knight, Janieve Russell

2:09 p.m: Women’s 200m – Shericka Jackson

2:50 p.m: Men’s 400m – Rusheen McDonald