Shericka Jackson shuts down 200m 'world record' talk following withdrawal from 100m at Paris Olympics 2024

Reigning 200m world champion Shericka Jackson, gearing up for her 200m event at the Paris Olympics scheduled for August, has stated that she is not aiming for a world record after deciding not to compete in the 100m event.

Jackson is participating in her third Olympic Games in Paris after winning a bronze and a silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, followed by gold and two bronzes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The 30-year-old has yet to win an individual Olympic title, as the only event in which she won an Olympic gold medal was the women's 4 x 100 m relay in Tokyo. She qualified for both the 100m and 200m events at the Jamaican Olympic trials in June; however, she later decided not to compete in the 100m.

Apart from medal anticipation, Jackson was also looked up to as one of the threats to American legend Florence Griffith-Joyner's 200m world record of 21.34 seconds at the Paris Olympics. Jackson currently holds the title of the world's fastest 200m woman alive and the second-fastest woman overall with a time of 21.41 seconds that she clocked during her world title victory at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

However, in a recent update, the five-time Olympic medalist was questioned about whether there was a world record coming in her upcoming 200-meter race, to which she replied (via Citius Mag's X handle):

"With all honesty, I don’t think there’s a world record coming, definitely I don't think there's a world record coming."

Why is Shericka Jackson withdrawing from the 100m event at Paris Olympics 2024?

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Shericka Jackson was slated to represent Jamaica in both the 100m and 200m domains at the Paris Olympics; however, just before the track and field event could start in the French competition, she decided to take her name back from the 100m race.

When asked about the reason for her withdrawal from the discipline, Jackson replied (via NBC Olympics):

"The decision is just to protect my body. As I've said for the last three years, I've been competing in both events. It's a combination of both, just focusing on one event."

28-year-old Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Shashalee Forbes will replace Jackson in the 100m. The surprising decision came after Jackson became the fastest Jamaican woman in the 100m this season following her 10.84-second victory in the finals at the Jamaican Olympic trials in June.