Ahead of her much-anticipated clash with five-time 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Monaco on Wednesday, 200m world champion Shericka Jackson has revealed that she has not yet achieved her goal in the 100m.
Jackson, who won her first global title in Eugene, Oregon in July, also won a silver medal in the 100m in a lifetime best of 10.73 as the runner-up to Fraser Pryce in the blue-riband sprint at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon in July.
But in a pre-meet press conference on Monday, the increasingly confident Jackson believes faster 100m times are coming.
“I don’t think I have reached my full potential as yet. It’s taking some time, the World Championships was actually good I ran a personal best,” said Jackson.
“I am looking to run faster 100s. I think I have mastered the 200m a little so I am excited to put together a proper 100 and see how fast I can go.”
Jackson also revealed that she enjoys competing against her friend Fraser-Pryce, explaining that matching strides with the five-time world 100m champion who has run 10.66 this season brings the best out of her.
“It’s just been probably two years since I have been competing with her competitively and I enjoy every moment of it. She brings out the best in me in the 100 and I like that, I like competition and she always brings her ‘A’ game so I am looking for super exciting times…”
Fraser-Pryce has run under 10.70 five times this season, more than any woman in history.
Meanwhile, Jackson believes she can go even faster than the 21.45 she ran in Oregon and will focus on achieving that particular goal when she begins preparation for the 2022/2023 season in a few weeks’ time.
“Coach and I had discussed right after I ran 21.5 (at the National Stadium in Kingston in late June) that if I continue to think about the time I will end up disappointing myself if I don’t meet those expectations; yes, I do have a time in mind, which funny enough, the 21.45 was my goal for this season. I have achieved that and when I went back home I set a new goal,” she said.
“I set a new goal because I want to run faster, I believe I can run faster than 21.4 so coach and I discussed and we are preparing to run faster, so if it doesn’t happen this season, we will go back to the drawing board and prepare.
“So yes, I have a 100m time that I have not achieved as yet so I have a couple (more) hundreds this season so I am just going fix what needs to be fixed and hope I meet my goals for the 100.”