Shericka Jackson and Abby Steiner on top of the world after 200m masterclasses
In a matter of hours on 26 June, the year's fastest women’s 200m time was broken twice, with the second of those being the third-fastest time in history. Here’s how Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson and the USA’s Abby Steiner sent shockwaves around the globe with less than a month until the World Athletics Championships.
Athletics
What a weekend of athletics action it’s been. And no more so than in the women’s 200m.
In an event often dominated by big names including Jamaican duo Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, two less talked about athletes came to the fore, breaking the best time in the world twice in a matter of hours.
First up was the USA’s Abby Steiner, who shaved three-hundredths of a second off her own world lead time to win the US trials in 21.77 seconds.
Hours later, some 3,000 miles away in Jamaica, Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson won her trial, securing a place at next month’s World Athletics Championships in the third-fastest time in history - 21.55 seconds.
Steiner class of the field at USATF Championships
While Steiner’s performance was not a surprise for those who follow athletics closely, her manner of victory was proof she is in top form heading into the World Athletics Championships, which take place between 15 and 24 July.
An Achilles injury left her unable to compete at last year’s Olympic trials and out of the reckoning for Tokyo 2020. However, this season has seen the 22-year-old deliver on her immense potential, as she set the then world’s fastest time in 21.80 two weeks ago in a collegiate championships race in which she broke the NCAA record.
This past weekend, in the semi-finals of the US trials, Steiner again showed her record-breaking run was no flash-in-the-pan as she equalled her time of 21.80 to qualify for the final.
But the best was yet to come.
In a stunning come-from-behind run in the final, Steiner chased down Tamara Clark and Jenna Prandini to claim victory and once again set the world’s best time with 21.77.
Running into a light headwind, the University of Kentucky athlete seemed immensely comfortable in her win. And she is thrilled by the idea of testing her wits against the Jamaican team at the worlds.
“I’m really excited,” she said when asked about the prospect of taking on the women in green and gold. “I’m excited to be on the world stage for the first time and being able to represent my country. It’s really special.”
Just hours later, one of those Jamaicans Steiner will face in Eugene had broken the U.S. athlete's world lead time and set the third-fastest 200m mark in history.
Jackson shocks Olympic champions with historic mark in Jamaica
It’s fair to say that two names were on everyone’s lips in the lead-up to the Jamaican national athletics trials that took place over the weekend in Kingston: back-to-back Olympic 100m and 200m champion Thompson-Herah and three-time Olympic gold medallist Fraser-Pryce.
Yet by the end of the trials, it was 27-year-old Olympic 100m bronze medallist Jackson who had fired herself into the public consciousness by winning both the 100m and 200m titles.
And the manner of those victories is what really sent tongues wagging.
Jackson’s time in the 200m of 21.55 is not only the new fastest of the year - taking the mantle from Steiner’s run earlier the same day - it is also the third-fastest ever by a female athlete.
Number one on the list is Florence Griffith-Joyner, who set her time of 21.34 all the way back in 1988. Second on the list is fellow Jamaican and Olympic legend Thompson-Herah who posted 21.53 just last August at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Now Jackson can add her name to that honour roll after a blistering run saw her beat both Thompson-Herah who came second in 22.06 and Fraser-Pryce (third in 22.14) to the line, although all three have earned the right to represent their country at next month’s worlds.
"Honestly, I am shocked by the time," Jackson said after her run. "I never expected to go that fast. I knew that I had something special in my legs but to run that fast... I'm just grateful."
Now both Jackson and Steiner have elevated all expectations surrounding them as athletics fans across the globe gear up for July’s World Athletics Championships.
READ MORE: Shericka Jackson completes Jamaican nationals double with 200m world lead