Shericka Jackson shows off honorary doctorate awarded to her by the University of Technology, Jamaica

Shericka Jackson, one of Jamaica's best sprinters in the last decade, now has a new accolade to add to her growing list of achievements.

The Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by the University of Technology (UTech) over the weekend in her home country.

Jackson currently trains at the UTech MVP Track Club under the legendary Stephen Francis. On the decision to award Shericka the doctorate, UTech said in a statement:

“In recognition of her phenomenal achievements in sprinting and her contribution to nation building, UTech, Jamaica will confer Shericka Jackson with the Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa (Hon. LLD)."

The sprinter later took to X (formerly Twitter) to show off her latest achievement, simply writing:

"Dr Shericka Jacko Jackson 🎉🎉🎉 😊😊 🤍🤍"

In the picture, Jackson is seen wearing a white dress and a similar set of heels, alongside blue graduation robes with a golden border. She had also donned a black graduation hat. The sprinter was all smiles as she posed with her degree instead of her usual relay-race baton.

Shericka Jackson listed in final five for World Athlete of the Year 2023

Alongside her newly awarded doctorate, Shericka Jackson might soon be adding another feather to her cap. In October, she was announced as one of the eleven nominees for 2023's Women's World Athlete of the Year.

Now, after an initial round of voting, the Jamaican has made the cut for the second round alongside four other athletes. Her competitors for this award are Ethiopia’s marathon runner Tigist Assefa, Holland’s 400m hurdler Femke Bol, Kenya's long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon, and Venezuela’s triple-jumper Yulimar Rojas.

Shericka Jackson has had a truly phenomenal 2023. The Jamaican stormed to a gold in the 200m at the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships. She also walked away with a silver in the 100m event and 4x100m relay in Hungary.

On her way to defend her 200m gold, the sprinter clocked an astonishing 21.41s, shaving four seconds off of her previous personal best, and coming within 0.07 of Florence Griffith Joyner's 35-year world record. This run made her the fastest woman alive in the 200m.

Shericka Jackson added the finishing touches of perfection to her dominant season at the 2023 Diamond League Finals that were held in Eugene. She sprinted to gold in both the 100m and 200m sprints. This makes her part of an exclusive club, becoming one of only nine elite athletes to have completed a Diamond League double in a single season.