An individual global gold medalist at last! That’s the status that Shericka Jackson will find herself in when she wakes up on Friday morning.
The Jamaican blazed a trail to become the fastest woman alive when she won the 200m final of the 18th World Athletics Championships Oregon22 inside Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on Thursday night in a jaw-dropping 21.45 seconds, the second fastest time ever.
Jackson beat compatriot and five-time World Athletics Championships 100m gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished in a season’s best 21.81 seconds, with third going to the defending champion, Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in 22.02 seconds.
Niger’s Aminatou Seyni finished fourth in 22.12 seconds, with the American pair of Abby Steiner (22.23) and Tamara Clark (22.32) finishing in fifth and sixth positions, with Olympic Games sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finishing in seventh place in 22.39 seconds.
Munjinga Kambundji of Switzerland was eighth and last in 22.55 seconds.
It was the second personal best performance from Jackson, who had also ran 10.73 seconds for the silver medal in the 100m final, and it adds to her two individual silver medals in the 400m at the World Championships.
Thursday’s new Championships Record betters Jackson’s previous personal record of 21.55 seconds established at the JAAA National Trials last month, as well as the 21.63 seconds set by Dafne Schippers in 2015.
The latest medals haul has propelled Jamaica to third on the medals table.
In the women’s 800m preliminary heats, Adelle Tracey and veteran Natoya Goule advanced to the semi-finals.
Tracey ran a personal best 1:59.20 minutes for third place in heat one to secure her place, but National Champion Chrisann Gordon-Powell was not as fortunate as she clocked a pedestrian 2:01.91 minutes for fifth place in heat five, while Goule comfortably led home the field in 2:00.06 minutes in heat six.
Jordan Scott finished 10th of 16 athletes on the men’s triple jump competition.
Meanwhile, Rushall Clayton will run from lane 2 in the women’s 400m hurdles final, while Christopher Taylor, as well as the Candice McLeod and Stephenie Ann McPherson will contest the men’s and women’s 400m, while the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays will also be contested.
