KINGSTON: Shericka Jackson threw down the gauntlet with a personal best and world-leading 10.65 seconds, the fifth-fastest ever, as she retained her women’s 100m title at the Jamaican championships on Friday to secure her spot at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest this summer.

Jackson, who won the silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Oregon, is tied with American Marion Jones for fifth on the all-time list and eclipsed the previous fastest time of the year, the 10.71 set American Sha’Carrie Richardson at the US championships on Thursday.

With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who did not compete in Kingston, holding a wild card as defending world champion, Jamaica will have four runners in the event at the World Championships in August.

Jackson won in a legal wind of 1.0m/sec while Shashalee Forbes ran a new personal best 10.96 for second place and Natasha Morrison was third in 10.98.

Two-time Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was fifth in 11.06 seconds.

Jackson, who was shocked on learning she had moved up to number five of all time, said the big difference maker was nailing the start.

“I told them last year that one of my main problem was the start, I think tonight I mastered it, but I have to go back to the drawing board with coach [Paul Francis], but tonight I did a very good Job,” Jackson told Reuters.

Despite the massive career best, Jackson pointed to an issue that still needed improvement ahead of Budapest.

“I think the ending need a little fixing,” she reasoned. “I know I’m a strong finisher, but I still need to work on that a bit because I made a miss-step, so coach and I will continue working on my stride pattern going forward, It’s been tough coming down from the 400-metre to the 100-metre since in 2021.”

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2023