KINGSTON, Jamaica— Up to the end of Sunday’s first session at the Stade de France in Paris, the Jamaican management team was still awaiting an official report on the reason Shericka Jackson was withdrawn, at seemingly the last minute, from the women’s 200m at the Olympic Games.

Less than 24 hours after the shock withdrawal of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the semi-finals of the women’s 100m on Saturday’s third day, Jamaican fans received another jolt early Sunday morning with the news that Jackson, the back-to-back World Championships gold medallist in the 200m and the fastest woman alive over the distance, had been withdraw.

Ludlow Watts, manager of the Jamaican team told Observer Online that he was still to hear anything official and was also not sure if Fraser-Pryce would be available for the relays which are set to start on Thursday.

“I thought the athletes performed well today but there was one notable omission and we are not certain of the reason for the withdrawal but it’s something we have to discuss later,” Watts said.

Jackson, who won a third straight women’s sprint double at the JAAA national championships in late June, was initially entered in both sprints at the Olympics but withdrew from the 100m a few days before the start of the track and field schedule. She was replaced by Shashalee Forbes.

It was thought an injury suffered during a 200m race in Hungary in early July might have been the reason but Jackson and Stephen Francis, founder of the MVP track and field club, had assured members of the media in Paris that the athlete would be ready for the 200m.

The assurance also prompted speculation that Jackson who ran a personal best, national record and World Athletics Championships record 21.41 seconds in Budapest last year, only behind the world record 21.34 seconds set in 1988 by the late American Florence Griffith Joyner, would be going after the world record.

With the health of Jackson and Fraser-Pryce uncertain, Watts was asked whether there had been any updates on the compilation of the women’s 4x100m relay team but referred inquiries to head coach Maurice Wilson.

Watts also pointed out that the 4x100m team was not only open to 100m runners, explaining that 200m athletes and even sprint hurdlers could be drafted in, depending on who the coaches thought would be a good fit.

-Paul A Reid