Jackson gets her shot at 200m World title
Published:Wednesday | July 20, 2022 | 12:06 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
EUGENE, Oregon:
SHERICKA JACKSON will finally have her chance to right the wrongs of the Tokyo Olympics and is the runaway favourite for a first major global gold medal.
And she earned that right, sending a message to the competitors with a 21.67-second clocking in the semi-final, the fastest time in the field.
Five-time World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won her semi-final in a season’s best 21.82, while double sprint Olympic champion Elaine Thompson Herah finished third in her semi-final, also in a season’s best, 21.97, to advance to tomorrow’s final, setting up another potential sweep of the event.
Jackson was eliminated from the Tokyo Olympics first round last year after slowing down too early.
Having made it to her first major global championship final in the half-lap event, Jackson said she was pleased with the way she managed the race despite the short turnaround time.
“It’s been five hard days of competition. So now I have a day to reflect. I know I made a few mistakes in that race. So I know that coach will correct those mistakes. But I am grateful,” Jackson said.
Fraser-Pryce was critical of the scheduling, which had them starting their 200m campaign immediately after the 100m final but said that she knew that she had to start well.
“I don’t know who did the schedule but it was definitely crazy and I would like to say biased as well because the men ran before us and they got a day’s break. But you get over that because it’s not going to change at this point so no sense dwelling on it,” Fraser-Pryce said.
“I think I’m pleased with the race, especially with the first 150m. I knew I had to get out (quickly) because the other ladies behind me are capable of running 21.00 too.”
Fraser-Pryce will have a chance to achieve the World championship sprint double for the first time since 2013.
In his first major championship final, Jaheel Hyde finished sixth in a new personal best 48.03 in the men’s 400m hurdles final.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Brazilian Alison Dos Santos took the title in a championship record 46.29, while Rai Benjamin of the United States was second in 46.89. Benjamin’s teammate, Trevor Bassett, was third in 47.39.
The 200m campaign for the Jamaican men ended as former 100m world champion Yohan Blake withdrew from his semi-final because of a foot injury. Rasheed Dwyer finished eighth in his semi-final in 20.87, failing to advance.
In their first global championship final, national record holder Lamara Distin and national champion Kimberley Williamson finished ninth and 11th, respectively, in the women’s high jump. Distin’s cleared 1.93m with a perfect card, but failed at 1.96.
Williamson’s run ended at 1.89.
Australian Eleanor Patterson won the title with an area record of 2.02, while Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh was second with the same height, losing on countback. Elena Vallortigara of Italy was third after clearing 2.00 metres.
World championship silver medallist Fedrick Dacres and Traves Smikle finished ninth and 12th in the men’s discus final, respectively.
Dacres best effort was 64.85 while Smikle’s furthest throw measured 62.31 metres.
The event was won by Slovenia Kristjan Ceh with a championship record 71.13. Mykolas Alekna of Lituana finished second with 69.27 and his national teammate Andris Gudzius was third with 67.55.
Today, national record holder Navasky Anderson will make his world championship debut in heat three of the men’s 800m first round at 7:20 p.m, while national 400m champion Candice McLeod, world championship bronze medallist and team captain Stephenie-Ann McPherson, as well as World Championship debutant Charokee Young hope to secure places in the final when their semi-final heats get under way at 8:45 p.m. Christopher Taylor and Nathon Allen will hope to do the same in the men’s semi-final at 9:15 p.m.