Paris 2024 Olympics: Shericka Jackson, gold medal favourite, pulls out of 200m heats

Jackson’s withdrawal follows that of her compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who withdrew from 100m semifinals last night.

FILE PHOTO: Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson. | Photo Credit: AP

Jamaica’s world champion Shericka Jackson withdrew from the 200 metres at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, less than a month after she suffered an injury at a tune-up meet in Hungary.

Jackson did not run the 100 metres in Paris saying her injury played a part in her decision.

Jackson’s withdrawal comes a day after Jamaica’s three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Anne Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the women’s 100m with an injury.

BREAKING: Shericka Jackson 🇯🇲 with not compete in the Women's 200M. There have been injury concerns coming into the Olympic Games. 🖤💚💛

Powered by @jnbanklimited | @redstripe | @FLOWJamaica | @PrintWareTech#TeamJamaica#ParisOlympics2024#GuhHaadAndDonepic.twitter.com/Z51tKu9LOi

— Team Jamaica (@TeamJA876) August 4, 2024

At last year’s world championship in Budapest, Jackson clocked a scorching 21.41 to capture her second consecutive world title in the distance and narrowly miss breaking the world record of 21.34 set by the late Florence Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

But Jackson, who has never won an individual Olympic gold medal, has not been at her best this season, clocking times about a second slower than her world championship run.