Track star clocks world’s third fastest 21.55 seconds in the 200m distance
Shericka Jackson delivered on her promise to produce something special in the women’s 200m with a world-leading 21.55 seconds (0.0m/s) on Sunday’s final day of the Jamaican National Athletics Championships.
Jamaican track stars produced the third-fastest event ever at the world team trials in the national stadium at Kingston, with Jackson completing the 100-200 sprint double impressively.
After Friday’s 100m victory, Jackson surprised herself with a 200m performance that trails only US legend Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 34-year-old world record 21.34 seconds and the Jamaican record 21.53 by Elaine Thompson-Herah at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
“Honestly, I am shocked by the time,” Jackson said. “I never expected to go that fast. I knew that I had something special in my legs but but to run that fast. I’m just grateful.”
Jackson surpassed her previous best of 21.81 from last year this year’s prior world best of 21.77 set earlier Sunday by American Abby Steiner to win the US crown.
Jackson, 28, has also won a national senior crown at 400m. Olympic champion Thompson-Herah was second in 22.05 with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce third in 22.14.
American-born Andrew Hudson won the men’s 200m in 20.10secs (0.5m/s), beating 100m champion Yohan Blake’s 20.31 with Nigel Ellis third in 20.41.
Tokyo Olympic champion Hansle Parchment won the 110m hurdles final in 13.14 secs (1.0m/s), taking charge late in the race after former World and Olympic champion Omar McLeod got off to a flying start.
Rasheed Broadbell was second in a season-best 13.20 with Orlando Bennett third in 13.28. McLeod, who hit the third hurdle, finished eighth.
Britany Anderson, eighth in the Tokyo Olympics, won the 100m hurdles, coming from behind over the last three hurdles to win in 12.53(0.6m/s).
Defending champion and Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper was second with a season-best equalling 12.60 with 2015 world champion Danielle Williams third in her season’s best 12.66.
Chris-Ann Gordon-Powell upset eight time national champion and Olympic finalist Natoya Goule-Topping in the women’s 800m, running 2:00.25 as Goule took second in 2:00.83 and Adelle Tracey was third in 2:01.18.—AFP
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