Shericka Jackson (L) and Sha'Carri Richardson (R) (Image: Getty)

Sha'Carri Richardson gets massive boost as Shericka Jackson withdraws from 100m at the Paris Olympics 2024

Modified Jul 31, 2024 12:18 GMT

Jamaican track and field athlete Shericka Jackson will not be competing in the women’s 100m at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She was listed to feature in both 100m and 200m but has opted out of the former event.

Shashalee Forbes has replaced Jackson as the Jamaican representative for the women’s 100m event. At the Jamaican National Trials for the Paris Olympics, Forbes came fourth with a time of 11.04s in the 100m event which was topped by Jackson, clocking in 10.84s.

With this, Forbes will join the likes of two-time Olympics Champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Tia Clayton as Jamaica will aim to defend their Olympic title in the event. Moreover, Defending Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah had withdrawn from the Jamaican Olympic Trials due to injury, paving the way for a new Olympic gold medalist in the 100m.

However, Jackson will be focusing on the women’s 200m at the quadrennial games, an event in which she is a two-time world champion. Journalist Kayon Raynor confirmed the news to the track and field community on X (formerly Twitter), reporting that Jamaican athletics manager Ludlow Watts announced Jackson's withdrawal from the event, stating:

“2-time 200 metres world champion @shericka Jackson will not be contesting the sprint double at the Olympic Games in Paris. Jamaica's athletics manager, Ludlow Watts, confirmed that Jackson withdrew from the 100. Shashalee Forbes is entered as her replacement.”

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Following Shericka Jackson's withdrawal from the 100m at the Paris Olympics, Sha'carri Richardson is expected to receive a major boost as she is the current world leader in the 100m with a time of 10.71s.

However, Jackson will be seen in action in the 200m race where she will enter as a strong contender for the medal, whose heats are slated for August 4. The repechage rounds and semi-finals will take place on August 5, with the finals of the women's 200m scheduled on August 6.

Notably, the 30-year-old Jackson is the fastest woman alive in the 200m distance as she achieved a national-record time of 21.41 secs last year at the World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.

A look into Shericka Jackson’s achievements at the Summer Olympics

Shericka Jackson at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Shericka Jackson has collected five Olympic medals over her career at the Summer Olympics. On her debut Olympics in Rio, she played an instrumental role in Jamaica's 4x400m relay event’s silver medal triumph and won the bronze medal in the individual 400m at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Having shifted her focus to shorter sprint disciplines, Jackson bagged three medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, including a gold in the women’s 4×100 m relay, and two bronze medals in the individual 100m and women’s 4x400m relay events.