Miscalculation. Fumble. Heartbreak. This is what the 200m heats looked like for Shericka Jackson in the Tokyo Summer Games. The then world’s third fastest in the world seemed like a shoo-in at the event. But a grave mistake cost her what many thought was an easy win at the heats. Jackson had secured a comfortable fourth place, but it wasn’t enough to continue to the semis. Her shocking exit left the world shattered. While it didn’t end her Olympic dreams, the cracks were visibly there.
Shericka Jackson faced scrutiny for her miscalculation on the track. But many weren’t privy to what the Olympian was dealing with behind the scenes. Netflix’s SPRINT follows Jackson and several other elite sprinters throughout the 2023 World Championships in Budapest letting fans in on life outside the track. During a somber moment, Jackson opened up and confessed how she truly felt during the 200m ordeal. What really happened on the track in Tokyo?
Shericka Jackson recalls the aftermath of her 200m Tokyo Olympics exit
The sprinter stepped on to the track with just one goal on her mind: qualifying for the semis. As she settled in on lane 2, many were confident she could do it. Until she didn’t. In Netflix’s SPRINT, episode 2 titled QUEENS takes us through what went down on that fateful day. Shericka Jackson has a comfortable start from lane 2 and seems to be breezing through the track. However, midway through the race she seems to slow down almost into a jog compared to her competitors.
Jackson finishes fourth with 23.26 seconds on the clock. Italy’s Dalia Kaddari and Portugal’s Lorene Dorcas Bazolo edge her out to take the final spots for the semi’s. After a few snippets of the headlines making the round back then, we then see the Olympian enjoying a glass of wine watching the sunset. In a voiceover during this moment, Jackson confesses, “After the Olympics, I was so shaken that I had a mental breakdown.” She felt like she had let Jamaica down.
But she wasn’t done with Tokyo just yet. Fans witnessed an all Jamaican podium in the 100m, where Jackson clinched an Olympic bronze with 10.76 seconds on the clock. The Jamaican quartet in the 4x100m clocked in 41.02 seconds, clinching an effortless Olympic gold. She completed her 2020 Summer Games collection by clinching another bronze in the 4x400m with 3:21:24 seconds on the clock. Despite what many would call a successful Olympic run, Jackson still held on to the 200m heartbreak.
The commentators were as exasperated as several fans. But her coach Stephen Francis simply stated, “She is not a senior athlete, she is a senior athlete in the 400m and a rookie at the 200m. I expected her to do better. She will learn.” And boy, did she learn! Jackson came back stronger than ever and won the 200m title at the 2022 World Championship in Oregon. She then retained that very title at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
She has now said oui to the upcoming Summer Games
The reigning queen of 200m faced a “much-needed wakeup call” at the 2024 Oslo Diamond League. The Jamaican speedster could only muster up a fifth place in what many now consider her signature event. But there’s always a silver lining. At the Jamaican National Championships, the Tokyo 100m bronze medalist blazed past Tia Clayton and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for a stellar victory. She crossed the finish line clocking in 10.84 seconds, Clayton trailing behind with 10.90 seconds and Fraser-Pryce taking the final spot with 10.94 seconds.
But, wait! It gets even better. Shericka Jackson dominates in the 200m event at Kingston, claiming a double-decker victory! She crossed the finish line in 22.29 seconds, successfully punching her ticket to Paris! This will be her third Olympic run, and she will be looking to redeem herself from her tragic 200m heartbreak from the Tokyo Summer Games.
The 2024 Paris Olympics are just 19 days away, but track and field events will take place between 1st and 11th August. Track and Field enthusiasts will be watching with baited breath, hoping she reclaims what’s rightfully hers. The four-time World Championships gold medalist will once again face her old rival, reigning 100m world champion Sha’Carri Richardson. Will we watch Shericka Jackson strike gold at the French capital? We will have to just wait and watch, so stay tuned!