"The world record is on our minds but it's not something we are going to dwell" - Shericka Jackson shares her mindset for Paris Olympics

Jamaican athlete Shericka Jackson recently spoke about her thought process for the upcoming Paris Olympics. The 29-year-old opened up on her vision about breaking the legendary Florence Griffith-Joyner's world record.

The Jamaican, who has five Olympic medals to her name, is currently No. 2 in the women's world record list. She broke her own national record timing of 21.45s by clocking 21.41s at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Jackson edged closer to #1 in the list,

Jackson said that even though the world record was on her mind, it wasn't something she would rush to break the world record in every race that comes her way in the 2024 season. In a recent interview with Citius Mag, the two-time 200m world champion said:

“Yes, the world record is on our minds but it's not something we are going to dwell on Instagram every race… Once I’m healthy and once I'm in peak form, anything is possible. I am the athlete and my coach will prepare me for the right time.”

The upcoming Olympics will be Jackson’s third time participating. In her debut at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, she bagged a bronze medal in the 400m race and a silver in the 4x400m relay race. The Jamaican athlete won the gold medal in the 4x100m relay race in 2020. She also added two bronze medals in the 100m and 4x100m relay race events.

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Shericka Jackson on the importance of goal-setting

Jackson at Prefontaine Classic: Day 1 - Diamond League 2023

During her interview with the aforementioned publication, Shericka Jackson shared her thoughts on the importance of goal-setting. She told,

“I think it’s very important because it allows you to know that whenever you feel like giving up, you know that you have goals to achieve.”

She explained how writing down her targets has helped her at success;

"Me just writing down my goals is something I look forward to. I want to achieve all that I wrote down. And even if I don’t achieve them, I go back to the drawing board in the other year and I write new goals. It’s something once I write my goals and achieve them, I take them off."

Shericka Jackson will open her 2024 season at the Miramar Invitational in Florida on April 6. She last performed at the 2023 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, concluding her season with a 100m and 200m Diamond League Trophy.

Last year, Jackson competed in the 400m race at the Miramar Invitational in Florida. She settled for a third-place finish.