Sky’s the limit as quarter-miler Jackson looks to 2022
Shericka Jackson said she felt pleased and had no complaints after she ran and won her first flat 400m in three years at the Velocity Fest Meet held at the National Stadium in Kingston last Saturday in 51.29 seconds.
“The last time I ran a competitive 400m was 2019, so to come here and execute a good 400m is a season best and I can’t complain.”
Jackson had a sensational year in the shorter sprints in 2021, winning a bronze medal in the women’s 100m final as well as anchoring Jamaica to gold in the 4x100m and helping the country win a bronze medal in the 4x400m final.
She has begun her season focused on the quarter mile and came close to the meet record last weekend.
“Really and truly, my main focus was just to finish healthy and execute my race. I never had the record in mind, but I know that once I did a season’s best, I would be grateful.
“I have another 400m coming up, that’s in Bermuda, so I am just taking each race, a step at a time.”
Jackson disclosed that she enjoyed her first-ever indoor season despite some hiccups along the way but is not certain what next year will hold.
“My coach believes in me and he believes that I could have run faster but I got a personal best, I am coming from 7.31s that I ran outdoor and then my first indoor I run 7.04s and healthy, so I am just grateful and excited.
“It was my first ever experience indoors, my first race I fell down and had a little ankle problem but let’s see. This year I am just focusing on this year and then we see what comes after. The main focus is this year. Once I remain healthy, good things will happen,” she said.
She refused to divulge what shape her season will take in 2022 but believes that once she is fit and healthy things will be good.
“Me and my coach sit and discuss a lot of stuff and he believes in me and I believe in myself too. I am not going to say what’s on my mind or what my goals are. Last year March, I got a cramp running my first 100m, the same thing happened in 2018 and now I just finished a 400m healthy, so I am grateful.”
Jackson’s next race will be at the USATF Bermuda Games on Saturday.
— Dwayne Richards
