Jackson says she is going after 200m world record today
Two-time World Athletics Championships gold medallist, Jamaican Shericka Jackson, is taking dead aim at the 35-year-old women’s 200m world record 21.34 seconds at today’s Van Damme Memorial Diamond League meeting at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussells, Belgium.
Jackson, who came very close to breaking the mark just over a week ago when she lowered her Jamaican national record and the World Athletics Championships record to 21.41 seconds (0.1m/s) while retaining her title, says with some rest and a newly laid track, she could finally stake a claim for the world record.
The 29-year-old two-time Jamaican national sprint double champion will be one of 11 Jamaicans who will be competing at the penultimate Diamond League meeting of the season.
In-form Natasha Morrison will clash with Elaine Thompson-Herah over the 100m, Shanieka Ricketts will line up in the women’s triple jump while Rushell Clayton, Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight are down for the women’s 400m hurdles.
Meanwhile, World Athletics Championships finalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd was seventh in the women’s shot put that was held on Thursday with a best mark of 18.88m.
American World champion Chase Ealey won with 20.05m with Canada’s World Championships silver medallist Sarah Mitton taking second with 19.76m with another American Maggie Ewen third with 19.64m.
At Thursday’s pre-event press conference, Jackson said she would be making an attempt at the women’s 200m world record, but if she did not get it, she has another chance this season at the Diamond League final to be held at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, next weekend.
“At the World Championships I was very close, just a little wind and I would have been the world record holder,” she said after talking to her Coach Paul Francis. “We are going after it this year, I hope to get it [Friday], if I do then that would probably take a little pressure off me going into Eugene, but if not, we have another shot at Eugene.”
Jackson said while there is no “perfect race”, she is targeting “a good race tomorrow [today]”.
“We were so close, knocking on the door, and as I said, it would be good tomorrow if we have some Jamaican weather and its a new track, so definitely once I put everything together if not here, then Eugene if not then still have another chance.”
Jackson, who will go up against a field that includes training partner Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas, Daryl Neita of Great Britain, Janna Prandini of the USA and hurdles specialist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, said: “Tomorrow we’re going to focus on putting some things together, tomorrow is supposed to be one of those good days, as I said, my body is feeling good, my mind is ready and that’s the best thing I can put together – my mind and my body. Anything is possible.”
If Jackson misses the world record, she can claim the meeting record 21.64 seconds set in 1991 by legendary Jamaican sprinter Merlene Ottey and the athlete admitted that she had looked up the time.
“I looked at the meeting record and I know what the meeting record is so definitely, as I said, I’m in good shape. I’m still in good shape, and we went back to the drawing board and fix a few things, so once we put everything together, as I said, the weather is good, no storms are coming and we will have Jamaican weather tomorrow so definitely, that’s fantastic for me tomorrow.”
In the women’s 100m, Morrison, who won back to back races in Italy, will meet Thompson-Herah who is coming off her first sub-11:00 seconds time of the season.
Shashalee Forbes will also line up in the race that will seem American Tamara Clarke, Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand and Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith.
World Championships bronze medallist Rushell Clayton will lead a Jamaican trio that includes Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight in the women’s 400m hurdles where World Championships gold medallist Femke Bol will start favourites to win.
World Championships finalist and relay medallist Candice McLeod will compete in the women’s 400m where she faces American hurdles medallist Shamier Little and Holland’s Lieke Klaver.
National record holder Rusheen McDonald is down to run the men’s 400m and will face World Championships silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain, Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen of Norway and Leungo Scotch of Botswana.
Ricketts, who won in Italy with 14.92m on Wednesday, is hoping to extend her winning run in the women’s triple jump and faces the likes of World Championships silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of Ukraine and finalists Kimberly Williams of Jamaica and Thea Lafond of Dominica.