Neisha Burgher is now among the fastest Jamaican women in history over 200m indoors after a stunning 22.39-second victory at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in New Mexico over the weekend. The performance not only matched her outdoor personal best but also elevated her to third on Jamaica’s all-time indoor 200m list, behind Merlene Ottey (21.87) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (22.38).
The 22-year-old University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) senior, a former Excelsior High School standout, also became the fifth-fastest Caribbean woman in the event, trailing only Julien Alfred’s 22.01, which stands as the second-fastest time in history, and the BVI's Adaejah Hodge's 22.33.
For Burgher, the moment was both surreal and deeply fulfilling.
“Honestly, it’s just incredible,” she said. “I was super happy knowing that I could be mentioned with two of the greatest sprinters in Jamaican history.”
Burgher’s rise in the sprint ranks has been steady and determined. After clocking 22.74 at the 2024 NCAA National Championships, she narrowly missed the semi-finals, finishing with the 10th fastest time. However, she rebounded strongly, delivering a lifetime best of 22.39 at the Jamaica National Championships, which secured her place on Jamaica’s Olympic team for Paris 2024.
At the Olympics, she advanced to the semi-finals, clocking 22.64, and finished 12th overall—a remarkable achievement, a moment that will long in her memory.
“It was unforgettable! That was my long-term goal throughout the season. Even though NCAA Nationals didn’t go as planned, coming back later in the season to run a personal best and making the Olympic semi-final was an amazing feeling,” she reflected.
Burgher wasn’t caught off guard by her record-breaking run. She had seen the signs in training and knew something special was on the horizon.
“Given the numbers I was seeing in training, I definitely knew that time was coming,” she admitted. “I do set short-term and long-term goals, and throughout practice last week, I knew I was going to run something fast.”
Now, the focus shifts to what’s next. Burgher is determined to run even faster, refining the small details that could take her to another level.
“Staying focused is the main thing I’m working on—keeping the same mindset from last year, fixing the small things that I didn’t get right before. I still haven’t sat down to process what I did over the weekend, so I’ll talk to my coach and move forward from there.”
With her breakthrough 22.39 indoor time, Burgher has signalled her intent to become a major force in the sprints this season. With continued hard work and discipline, she is well on her way to becoming one of Jamaica’s next great sprinters on the global stage.