Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson Withdraws from Women’s 200m In Paris

The favorite to win Olympic gold at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in the 200m is out of the race before it even began.

Jackson, the reigning World Athletics champion at the distance, didn’t start her round one heat and is out of the Games in a surprising turn of events. She was slotted to compete in the third of six heats in round one of the 200m.

The 30-year-old Jamaican came very close last year to breaking the world record in the event, running 21.41 in the final. Florence Griffith-Joyner’s mark of 21.34 was set at the Seoul Olympic back in 1988.

Jackson had previously dropped out of the 100m in Paris to focus on this event, suggesting she’d been struggling with an injury.

With Jackson gone, American Gabby Thomas becomes the prohibitive favorite in the 200m, but will be challenged by Julien Alfred of St. Vincent. Alfred is riding high in Paris, coming off a dominant winning performance in the 100m final, surprising pre-race favorite Sha’Carri Richardson of the United State. Richardson didn’t not qualify for the women’s 200m in Paris.

Thomas, the silver medalist at the World Athletics Championships last year, cruised through her heat in round one, winning comfortably and qualifying for the semi-final.

Veteran Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith of Cote D’Ivoire also withdrew from the 200m, after appearing to injure herself in the 100m final.

Now the competition for the podium appears wide open. Some of the qualifying contenders include:

Gabby Thomas 🇺🇸

Julien Alfred 🇱🇨

Dina Asher-Smith 🇬🇧

Brittany Brown 🇺🇸

Tava Lanae-Thomas 🇯🇲

McKenzie Long 🇺🇸

Daryll Neita 🇬🇧

Niesha Burgher 🇯🇲

Mujinga Kambundji 🇨🇭

Those who didn’t qualify by place in the opening round still have a chance to advance in Monday’s repechage round. The semi-final takes place later that day. The final is set for Aug. 6 at 4:40 p.m. EDT

Women’s 200m Round One Results

Heat 1

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	4	LCA	ALFRED Julien	0.167	22.41		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	5	FRA	JOSEPH Gemima	0.121	22.72		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	6	SWE	HENRIKSSON Julia	0.144	22.79	NR	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	9	AUS	LEWIS Torrie	0.158	22.89	PB	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	7	POR	BAZOLO Lorene Dorcas	0.118	23.10	SB	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	2	SUI	POINTET Leonie	0.152	23.42		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	3	KAZ	SAFRONOVA Olga	0.138	23.58		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
	8	CIV	TA LOU-SMITH Marie-Josee		DNSDid Not Start

Heat 2

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	5	USA	THOMAS Gabrielle	0.182	22.20		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	6	JAM	BURGHER Niesha	0.161	22.54		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	3	SUI	KAMBUNDJI Mujinga	0.153	22.75		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	8	CAN	MADOGO Jacqueline	0.157	22.78	PB	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	4	ECU	SUAREZ Gabriela Anahi	0.144	23.33		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	7	ITA	KADDARI Dalia	0.145	23.49		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	2	MEX	TAMAYO-GARZA Cecilia	0.160	23.65		Re

Heat 3

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	5	GBR	NEITA Daryll	0.149	22.39	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	9	NED	JIYA Tasa	0.160	22.74	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	3	FRA	PARISOT Helene	0.153	22.99	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	7	ECU	CAICEDO Nicole	0.211	23.18	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	2	SWE	LINDAHL Nora	0.150	23.33	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	6	POL	KOTWILA Martyna	0.159	23.43	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	8	ITA	BONGIORNI Anna	0.159	23.49	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
	4	JAM	JACKSON Shericka		DNSDid Not Start

Heat 4

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	9	USA	LONG McKenzie	0.212	22.55	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	7	CIV	GBAI Jessika	0.170	22.61	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	3	CAN	LEDUC Audrey	0.188	22.88	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	2	ESP	BESTUE Jael	0.150	23.17	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	6	POL	TSIMANOUSKAYA Krystsina	0.181	23.30	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	5	AUS	GROSS Mia	0.178	23.36	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	4	ECU	NAZARENO Aimara	0.196	23.52	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
8	8	BRA	MARTINS Lorraine	0.179	23.68	Re

Heat 5

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	7	USA	BROWN Brittany	0.205	22.38	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	2	JAM	THOMAS Lanae-Tava	0.151	22.70	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	3	GBR	WILLIAMS Bianca	0.183	22.77	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	8	GRE	EMMANOUILIDOU Polyniki	0.166	23.06	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	5	CYP	FOTOPOULOU Olivia	0.145	23.07	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	4	HUN	TAKACS Boglarka	0.151	23.16	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	9	BEL	VERVAET Imke	0.166	23.20	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
8	6	SGP	PEREIRA Veronica Shanti	0.185	23.21	Re

Heat 6

Rank	Lane	NOC	Name	Reaction Time	Result
1	2	NGR	OFILI Favour	0.154	22.24	SB	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
2	8	GBR	ASHER-SMITH Dina	0.145	22.28		QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
3	7	GAM	BASS BITTAYE Gina Mariam	0.147	22.84	SB	QQualified by place (track) or standard (field)
4	3	CIV	KONE Maboundou	0.193	22.87	SB	ReQualified for the Repechage Round
5	5	IVB	HODGE Adaejah	0.159	23.00		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
6	4	DEN	KARSTOFT Ida	0.167	23.01		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
7	9	CHN	LI Yuting	0.148	23.31		ReQualified for the Repechage Round
8	6	BRA	AZEVEDO Ana Carolina	0.152	23.37		Re