Shericka Jackson's early season woes continue as she settles for fifth place in 200m at Oslo Diamond League meet

Shericka Jackson

Shericka Jackson's early season woes continue as she settles for fifth place in 200m at Oslo Diamond League meet

Mark Kinyanjui 21:00 - 30.05.2024

The Jamaican sprint star finished a disappointing fifth place in the 200m of the Oslo Diamond League meet, with America's Brittany Brown winning it while achieving a seasonal best time.

Shericka Jackson's early season struggles continued on Thursday evening as she finished fifth in the 200m at the Oslo Diamond League meet.

 America's Brittany Brown took first place with a seasonal best time of 22.32 seconds, showcasing her strong form as she prepares for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games and the USATF trials.

Ivorian sprinter Marie-Jose Ta Lou-Smith finished second with a time of 22.36 seconds, while Daryll Neita claimed third place in 22.50 seconds.

 Jackson, who dominated the 2023 season by winning gold at the World Athletics Championships and securing the 200m Diamond League title, now faces significant challenges to replicate her previous successes.

Jackson's season began with a slow start at the Diamond League meeting in Marrakech, where she struggled to a win in 22.82 seconds. The Jamaican sprinter, coached by the renowned Stephen Francis, is currently undergoing a weight-loss plan that may be affecting her performance.

"After Marrakech, we rethought a lot of things, especially my body weight, and I think we have done pretty well in the last two weeks, dropping a little bit," Jackson told AFP.

 "We're not where we want to be in terms of body weight, but we're close and we have two months to go, so we're working on some things that have been working."

Jackson made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, winning bronze in the women's 400m and silver in the women's 4x400m relay. 

Over the years, she has amassed a wealth of global medals and is the first athlete in World Championships history to win medals in the 100, 200, and 400 metres, including the 4x100 and 4x400 metres relays. 

She is also a five-time Olympic medallist, with her only gold coming as part of Jamaica's 4x100m relay team at the Covid-delayed Tokyo 2020 Games in 2021.

Initially a 400m specialist, Jackson switched to the sprints and won bronze in the 100m in Tokyo before claiming back-to-back 200m world titles in Eugene and Budapest in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

 Despite her recent challenges, Jackson remains focused and determined to regain her top form as the season progresses.

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