Despite setbacks in the past, Shericka Jackson, one of Jamaica’s most promising athletes, qualified for her third Olympics in Paris. She suffered a severe mental collapse after she failed to qualify for the 200-metre sprint at the Olympics in Tokyo.
In the recently released docuseries Sprint on Netflix, Jackson opens up about her inner struggles. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jackson won two medals: one in the 400-metre sprint and another as a member of the 4×400-metre relay team.
She was the centre of attention in Tokyo and lived up to the hype, winning bronze in the 100-metre finals with teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah.
“During the Olympic Games…Jamaica had anticipated that I would take home a gold medal. But I was very anxious. Additionally, I made a careless error,” Jackson was quoted as saying by sportsrush.
Jackson’s world completely collapsed after her heat elimination, igniting a wave of vitriol on social media and other platforms. She was formerly hailed as a celebrity. Looking back on the experience, she remembers it was a really difficult time to go through.
“I was so traumatized by the Olympics that I suffered a mental collapse.”
Jackson and Sha’Carri Richardson fighting it out.
The women’s 100 and 200-metre sprints at the 2023 World Championships attracted a lot of attention due to the exciting match between Shericka Jackson and Sha’Carri Richardson.
The race was exciting and hotly contested, with the highlight occurring during the 100-metre finals, where Jackson finished second with an astounding 10.72 seconds, and Richardson led the field with an incredible 10.65 seconds.
There was a lot of excitement for the 200 metres, as Jackson dominated the final, taking first place in an incredible 21.41 seconds. Richardson came in third with 21.92 seconds. Jackson’s triumph not only demonstrated her skill but also gave her supporters newfound faith in her 200-metre performance.