Shericka Jackson plans to go faster than her world-leading time when she competes in the Diamond League 200m final on Thursday.
The 28-year-old Jamaican, who ran a world-leading 21.45 to win her first individual World Championship gold medal in July, will take on the USA trio of Jenna Prandini, Gabby Thomas and Tamara Clarke, European champion Mujinga Kambundji as well as Tynia Gaither of the Bahamas with a Diamond League trophy at stake.
Supremely confident, Jackson, sporting new hair while seated next to a braided Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, hinted to members of the media on the eve of the Diamond League finale that the 34-year-old world record of American Florence Griffith-Joyner could be under threat if things go according to plan.
While she didn’t specify what time she was aiming at, Jackson said she set that new goal on returning home to Jamaica after becoming the second-fastest woman all time over the distance following her successful campaign in Eugene, Oregon.
“Before I started the season I wrote that exact time (21.45) on a piece of paper that I left on my trophy stand. I never took a picture with my phone because I wanted that every time I stepped into my house I wanted or go to training, I had that target.
“When I wrote that I went back to training every day and I worked even harder. Some days you might have a bad day but don’t let a bad day get you down.”
The first sign she had that the work she was putting in was paying off was when she ran a then world-leading 21.55 to win at the Jamaica National Championships in June. It was then that she knew that the time she wanted to achieve was within reach.
“Right after the trials, I said ‘okay, it’s coming and I wanted it so bad. Right after trials I went back to training and I achieved that and I am so happy,” she said.
“I went back home though and I wrote a different goal. I wrote another time there because I definitely want to go faster and I think I am capable of doing that. If it’s not done tomorrow then I will come back next season and work even harder.”
Jackson, who also ran a 100m personal best of 10.71 this season, is also on track to win two trophies on Thursday.
She lines up in the 100m finale against friend and compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Diamond League points leader Marie Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast, who has run 10.72 this season, a new lifetime best and African record.