The outstanding Jamaican Olympian of the 1980s, Ms Grace Jackson is well remembered for her extraordinary run at the Seoul Olympics of September 1988 even as her country reeled from a direct hit by Hurricane Gilbert less than two weeks earlier.

Running out of lane eight, the tall, elegant, long-striding Ms Jackson flew in the wake of the other-worldly American Ms Florence Griffith Joyner to take the 200 metre silver medal in a then Jamaican national record of 21.72 seconds.

Ms Griffith Joyner clocked 21.34 seconds to set a world record which stands to this day, despite the best efforts of Jamaica’s Mrs Elaine Thompson-Herah at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.

Ms Jackson’s achievements in the short sprints form a crucial part of Jamaica’s track athletics history and folklore. What’s not commonly known was that she was also a formidable force in the 400 metres.

In fact, for years she held the national record of 49.57 seconds.

Asked why she did not compete more often in the 400 metres, Ms Jackson’s answer was swift and direct.

“Pure pain!” she said.

We were reminded of the redoubtable Ms Grace Jackson while watching the exploits of her namesake, Miss Shericka Jackson, at last weekend’s National Championships.

Unlike Ms Grace Jackson, Miss Shericka Jackson, now 27, made the 400 metres a way of life in her earlier years as an athlete, winning medals of all colours in individual and relay events at World Championship and Olympic Games.

Indeed, Miss Shericka Jackson is among Jamaica’s most decorated athletes over the one-lap event.

In more recent times — perhaps to test herself — Miss Jackson switched to the shorter sprints, 200 and 100 metres, at the international level.

Her bronze medal finish, as Jamaican women — led by Mrs Thompson-Herah — swept podium places in Tokyo last year suggested her decision was entirely appropriate.

We will never know what would have happened had she not eased too much approaching the line in the semifinal, to end up missing the 200 metres final in Tokyo.

Clearly a determined person, Miss Jackson has consistently promised to make up for that mistake and to bring more glory to herself and her country.

We got a glimpse of what may be in the offing last weekend. With places at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon later this month up for grabs, Miss Jackson decimated the 100-metre field clocking 10.77 seconds, ahead of the rapidly improving Miss Kemba Nelson, 10.88, and the Olympic champion Mrs Thompson-Herah — relegated to third — in 10.89. Defending World Champion Mrs Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did not contest that final by virtue of enjoying a bye to the World Championships. Underlining the strength of Jamaica’s women sprints, the fourth-placed finisher, Miss Briana Williams, ran a personal best 10.94.

For all of that, the best from Miss Jackson was yet to come. In the 200-metre final she clocked 21.55 seconds, the third-fastest time in history, behind Mrs Griffith Joyner’s world record 21.34 seconds, and Mrs Elaine Thompson-Herah’s national record 21.53 seconds, set last year at the Olympic Games.

Incredibly, we hear from Miss Jackson that she made “mistakes” at the National Championships. Errors, which she and her coach Mr Paul Francis will be working to correct ahead of the World Championships. We wait with bated breath.