Shericka cruises to kick-start 200m title defence
BUDAPEST, Hungary — After repeating her silver medal in the 100m two days ago, defending champion Shericka Jackson turned her attention to the women’s 200m at the World Athletics Championships.
In the sweltering heat at National Athletics Centre in Budapest on Wednesday she did just enough to progress to the semi-finals.
It was a good session for Jamaican athletes, as 10 of the 11 who participated advanced.
Jackson led the 200m women and was joined by Nattaliah Whyte and Kevona Davis; Natoya Goule and Adelle Tracey made progress in the women’s 800m; Wayne Pinnock, Carey McLeod and Tajay Gayle are through to the final in the men’s long jump; and Andrew Hudson and Rasheed Dwyer made it to the semi-finals in the men’s 200m.
Jackson clocked 22.51 seconds (-0.4m/s) to win her heat while White ran 22.44 (-0.4m/s) for second behind St Lucia’s Julien Alfred (22.31). Davis was second in her heat in 22.49 (-1.2m/s), behind American Gabrielle Thomas (22.26).
Jamaica’s fourth entrant Ashanti Moore just missed advancing after running 23.13 (-0.7m/s) for fifth in her race. She placed 25th overall to just miss the final qualification spot.
Davis, who was making her debut at the senior level, admitted being nervous at the start.
“It’s really hot out there but I only have one aim — and that is to get to the semi-final by whatever means necessary. I was so nervous! I felt like I’ve never run before in my life. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ but I had to suck up the nerve and go out there and do my best to execute the way I wanted to,” she said.
Whyte was satisfied with her outing.
“I mean, I haven’t got a chance to look back at the race but, off the top of my head, I can’t think about what I’ll do different until I see the race. But I think I did good,” Whyte said.
Hudson, the back-to-back 200m national champion who was competing at the World Championships for the first time, right on the anniversary of winning the NACAC Open title last year, was overjoyed.
“I’m super happy; my first World Championship. I mean…I came here with a goal to make it to finals and… we’re still on that path so I’m happy,” said Hudson after finishing second, with 20.25 (-0/1m/s) in his heat, to 100m champion Noah Lyles (20.05).
Dwyer, who was third in his heat in 20.40 (-0.2m/s), said he was comfortable with his performance from lane three.
Goule ran her fastest-ever opening-round time in a major championships, clocking 1:59.64 minutes, pushed defending champion Athing Mu of the United States all the way to the finish line.
The event was the first on the schedule and the many-time national champion said she was holding back. “It’s only the first round so you can’t do too much, but enough to make it to the next round.”
She said participating in the mixed 4x400m relays earlier in the championships actually helped her.
“I guess it generates a higher turnover because you know when you go faster than what you normally would that helps you to be able to turn over much better in the 800m,” she explained.
After breaking the national record in the semi-finals of the 1500m on Sunday, Tracey said she was happy to make it into the next round of the 800m.
“I’m really pleased to tick that box and be in the semis” she told reporters.
“You just got to see what happens and trust your intuition, and I felt like… I probably could have navigated the home straight slightly better but there’s always things to improve on,” she added.