Jamaican National Championships 2023: Shericka Jackson beats Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce to become 100-200m double champion 

Shericka Jackson bowed out of the Jamaica Track and Field Championships on Sunday (9 July) with the 100-200m sprint double posting world-leading times in both events.

The 28-year-old Jackson will go into next month’s Athletics World Championships battle-hardened and primed to win both sprinting titles.

Jackson lined up against defending 100m world champion legend Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the half-lap sprint final on Sunday for a mouth-watering contest.

Fraser-Pryce, who featured in only her second race of the season, burst out of the blocks taking the early advantage before Jackson got her nose in front. Jackson stepped up a gear and raced home in a world-leading time of 21.71 seconds. Fraser-Pryce came home in second place clocking 22.26s, with Lanae-Tava Thomas finishing third in 22.55s.

“I haven’t run a lot of 200s this year, so I wanted to practise how to run the 200m. I always just stay in my lane and focus on myself (not worrying about Fraser-Pryce) and I can’t focus on who is behind or who is in front,” Jackson said.

“I just need to focus on my lane, and I think I did that tonight coming out victorious.”

Jackson has already established herself as a force in the half-lap sprint, setting the second-fastest time in history to claim the 200m title at the 2022 world championships in a blistering 21.45s.

She proved that she is an equally strong prospect in the 100m after winning back-to-back national titles with a world-leading time of 10.65s, becoming the fifth fastest woman in history.

Fraser-Pryce, who holds a wild-card entry as the defending 100m champion also earned a spot in the 200m for a potential shot at the sprint double in Budapest.

The championships were a bitter disappointment for former world champion Yohan Blake after he was disqualified in the 100m and missed out on the podium in the 200m final on Sunday. Andrew Hudson successfully defended his 200m title in a time of 20.11s, with Blake following in fourth place in 20.51s.

Earlier, Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell powered to victory in the 110m hurdles setting a world lead of 12.94 seconds.

Broadbell launched himself into the front of the race and held the line beating reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment to the line. Parchment had to be content with the silver medal clocking 13.12s with Orlando Bennett following in third place with 13.19s. All three men set qualifying times for next month’s Athletics World Championships in Budapest.

“A lot of work needs to be done until the world championships, but it is good things going on right now,” Broadbell said.

Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper won the 100m hurdles final earning a third national title clocking 12.64s. Ackera Nugent bagged the silver medal in 12.67s with Danielle Williams taking third place in 12.82s.