Ricketts shrugging off tame season opener

As far as season openers go, World Championships triple jump silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts had better outings than her Velocity Fest performance two weeks ago. But, with signs of improvement in her technique early in the season, she is focused on repeating her exploits last year, as well as getting to the elusive 15m mark.

Ricketts opened her season with a 13.57m effort at the Velocity Fest meet on March 25, but only after she had four consecutive foul attempts as she began her 2023 campaign. The competition was no more than a training exercise with her being the sole competitor. However, Ricketts said that she was just satisfied to get off the mark after challenges in her approach

“This competition was hard. I was struggling with the approach. It sometimes happens especially when it is the first competition of the year. You have to get rid of the cobwebs and get back in the groove. I am just grateful that I am healthy and I am looking forward to what the rest of the season has in store,” Ricketts told The Gleaner.

What she hopes will be a repeat of last season when she claimed World championship silver last year in Eugene, Oregon, redeeming herself from the Tokyo Olympics where she narrowly missed out on the podium.

Even with her inability to land a legal mark in her first four attempts, she did not sacrifice her need to apply the work she did this year during her background training, to just get a mark on the board.

“At this point, it’s not about being safe but it’s about trying to do the technical things that we have been working on in training. So, even if everything was a foul, as long as I am doing the things I need to do technically, I will be alright,” Ricketts said. “So I am not stressing about this competition too much. It was necessary. If I wasn’t competing, I had to be training.”

What Ricketts has encouraged so far is the technical improvements that she saw during the event, despite the early struggles. It is something that she feels will work in her favour as the season progresses, knowing her long-term goals for the season.

“Especially in the last phase, I see a lot of improvement. The triple jump is so technical. Sometimes it is hard to get the perfect jump. Once you can get close to perfect as possible, then you should be alright,” Ricketts said. “This is like training because, ultimately, we are getting ready for the World Championships.”

It is not just another medal that Ricketts is hoping to add to her collection, but also to get to the elusive 15-metre mark this season. Her personal best is 14.98m, which she set in May 2021 in Doha. She got to 15.02m in that same year but it was wind assisted.

“I want to get over the 15m mark, even if it is just one time this year. That is definitely what I am aiming towards,” Ricketts said.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com