‘SWEET REDEMPTION!’
EUGENE, Oregon — “Redemption, sweet redemption” were the first words from World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts when she spoke to Jamaican journalists after Monday’s women’s triple jump finals at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
Ricketts produced a season’s best 14.89m (1.7m/s) in the first round, her fourth best jump ever and held on to take second place behind superstar Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela who won with a world leading 15.47m (1.9m/s) the fifth best of all times while the USA’s Tori Franklin took the bronze with a season’s best 14.79m (1.8m/s).
Ricketts jump was the world leader at the time, but lasted less than 10 minutes before the long-legged Rojas jumped 14.60m in the right round, her only legal jump under 15.00m revved up her massive engine.
This was the second World Championships silver for Ricketts who was second to Rojas in Doha, Qatar, in 2019 and on a personal level said, “This means the world, it means redemption,” a beaming Ricketts said, “because in Tokyo I was gutted, I finished in fourth, it is better to finish in eighth place than fourth,” she admitted, “so to comeback a year after and to redeem myself it shows me that I am a champion, it shows me that at times you can have bad seasons but it does not dictate who you are as a person or an athlete and you have to keep fighting keep moving forward.”
Ricketts, who has a personal best 14.98m and qualified for the final with just one jump in the prelims, said she knew her preparation would pay off big.
“I knew something good was coming because I was feeling it but to see it really happened, I am so grateful and I am over the moon,” she said about her opening jump on Monday.
The plan, she said, was to lay down the marker, “I wanted to start big and let them chase me, as you know its a game, I was hoping to improve as the rounds went on but that did not happen because of different factors, the wind [direction] changed and all that but I am grateful to hold on to the second spot and finish my second World Championships in second place and give Jamaica another silver medal.”
Kerry-Lee Ricketts, her husband and coach, described her performances as “excellent” after she had two other jumps after at least 14.80m which were also good enough for second place.
Kerry-Lee told the Jamaica Observer she could have jumped farther but said, “her timing was a little off, she was rushing the phases, the 15..0m was there for her,” but added quickly, “She performed up to expectation, the idea was not to chase the 15.00m but to consolidate her position”.
He added that it was good for her to get back on the podium at a major championships.
Shanieka told journalists there were mixed emotions after Sunday’s evening session, “after the hiccup with Hansle [Parchment in the 110m hurdles final], we were in a rut and then to see the girls go 1-2-3 (in the women’s 100m final), it really motivated me”.
There were three Jamaicans in the final, the most from any one country, Kimberly Williams was seventh with 14.29m and Ackelia Smith, the winner at the ISSA Boys and Girls Champs last year and a freshman at the University of Texas.
“It was historic to have three of us in the final,” she said.
“I did not have the opportunity to compete with [World champion and National record holder] Trecia Kay Smith and Kimberly at the World Championships or Olympics, so to have Ackelia being here in the finals it shows that Jamaica’s women’s triple jump is in good hands — and when myself and Kim walk away from the sport it will be in good hands.”