Paris Olympics 2024: Why is Shericka Jackson Delaying Her Track and Field Season Opener at the Miramar Invitational?

The wait for the fans to witness Shericka Jackson on the track continues. After ruling the World Championships in the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relay, Jackson set her eyes on the coveted prize of the Olympics. Surely enough, the 29-year-old fulfilled her dreams by winning the Olympic gold in Tokyo. However, an athlete of Jackson’s caliber was expected to continue her dream run and likewise, has been preparing for Paris. 

Unfortunately for her fans, Jackson seems to be struggling with her return as her Olympic season keeps getting delayed. Having missed a couple of important events this year, the 1x Olympic gold medalist has recently pulled out of her third event of the year, the Miramar Invitational. However, in a contrasting manner, Jackson’s past performances have been nothing short of spectacular. 

Shericka Jackson: Keeping alive the Jamaican legacy 

Jamaica has been touted as a factory for producing world-class sprinters recently. And keeping the legacy going, emerged a certain Shericka Jackson. Running in all three disciplines, Jackson became the fifth fastest woman of all time with a 100m best of 10.65s. However, when it comes to the 200m realm, she is the undisputed queen. Clocking a spectacular 21.41s at 2023 Budapest, Jackson is the fastest woman alive and second in history. 

Jackson narrowly missed the world record 21.34s set by Florence Griffith-Joyner in the 1988 Olympics. However, this performance was in no way a dampener for Jackson. For once, the idea of someone going sub 21.6s was absurd until the Jamaican did it. On top of that, this was Shericka Jackson’s second 21.4s run in consecutive years. Competing at Eugene in 2022, Jackson clocked 21.45s to establish her dominance. Thus, after witnessing such high-flying maneuvers, the happenings that followed next were quite anti-climactic. 

Diving into the unforeseen delay of Jackson’s journey to the starting line

Initially, Jackson was supposed to start her Olympic season at the JAAA/Puma Fuller/Anderson Development Meet at Spain’s GC Foster College in January. Unfortunately, this did not happen as the 29-year-old pulled out from the tournament. Although the reason was not detailed, Bruce James, the President of MVP Track Club, shed some light on the matter. Speaking about the Jamaican’s exclusion, he stated, “We want to make sure she was feeling at her best before she starts competing for 2024.” 

Unfortunately, much to the agony of the fans, Jackson pulled out of two subsequent tournaments, the latest being the Miramar Invitational. Back in January, Jackson did not compete at the 60m Queen’s/Grace Jackson meet. According to an X update from Owen M, Jackson did not feel comfortable and confident enough to enter the track. While such sporadic activities from Shericka Jackson might cause a hint of doubt in the fans’ minds, there have been instances of Jackson making a stupendous comeback. 

Jackson’s tale of triumphs going against adversities

Months ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, Shericka Jackson was reeling from a terrible injury. So much so, that it almost had her withdraw from the Olympics. Putting immense stress on her legs, Jackson was suffering from what was known as severe shin splints. In such a situation, the affected person goes through extreme razor-like pain in the bones of the area surrounding the tibia.

Concerned by her health, Jackson was in search of a qualified physiotherapist. And luckily, she ended up under the supervision of Yael Jagbir. Jagbir was shocked at the impact of the injury and feared that she would need surgery. In her words, “I’ve seen stress fractures that you definitely need surgery.  If hers wasn’t treated properly it could have led to her needing to do surgery on her shins.  It was right on the cusp of that point that she would have needed surgery.” 

However, it was at this moment that Jackson put on her fighting armor and followed every instruction to recover and triumph in the Tokyo Olympics. Thus, while the reason for her delays is not confirmed, there is no reason to believe that the Jamaican sprint phenom cannot make a similar comeback. Well, Jackson herself says she can.

Shericka Jackson’s quest for Olympic glory in Paris 2024

Appearing in a recent Instagram question-and-answer session, a fan curiously asked Shericka Jackson about her plans for the Paris 400m. Replying on behalf of Jackson, the officials at the MVP Track and Field Club replied with a resounding, “Of course.” 

Read More: Shericka Jackson Announces Another Step Back From a Race This Season Bringing More Delay to Her 2024 Debut

After completing a historic double at the Eugene Diamond League, Jackson laid down her plans for Paris 2024. She oozed confidence while pointing out that Jackson was aiming to break Flo-Jo’s 200m record of 21.34s. She said, “Coach and I have spoken and we are going after (the record) this year. I hope to get it.” The 29-year-old also detailed her plans going forward in 2024 saying, “My mindset is really, really positive and it’s grounded and it’s happy…I’ve yet to achieve an Olympic gold medal so definitely know that’s one of the goals I want to definitely achieve.” 

Thus, with the time ticking away to Paris, there is still hope of Shericka Jackson finally announcing her 2024 track debut anytime now. While it does look like a daunting task, Jackson has already done it once. So why won’t she be able to pull it off one more time, being the fighter she is? 

Continue to Read: Jamaican Track Star Shericka Jackson Reveals Olympics Postponement Allowed Her to Recover From Shocking Injury