Radio Jamaica Sports can report that two-time 200m world champion Shericka Jackson will not be contesting the sprint double at these Olympic Games in Paris.
Confirmation came on Wednesday from Jamaica's athletics team manager Ludlow Watts that the 100m bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics has not entered on the entry list for the 100m heats which gets underway on Friday.
"She (Jackson) has given up her place in the 100 metres... all the information that we can provide is that she is not going to participate in the 100m" Watts told Radio Jamaica Sport by telephone.
"Shashalee Forbes is her replacement in the women's 100 metres," Watts added.
He noted that the decision was conveyed by Jackson's coach to Jamaica's technical leader Maurice Wilson.
"They would have had discussions with Mr. Maurice Wilson, but I don't know the reasons, I'm just dealing with what is the outcome," Watts explained.
This comes one day after founding MVP track and field club head coach Stephen Francis hinted that Jackson seemed fit and ready to compete while answering a group of Jamaicans journalists.
“I think that is something you’re going to have to address to her medical personnel, but as far as I know, she appears to be okay to me," Francis said on Tuesday.
It's understood that the decision was taken out of an abundance of caution, after the fastest woman alive over 200 metres with 21.41 seconds pulled up with a calf cramp on July 9 during her last preparation race at the Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix on July.
Jackson, who clocked a season best 10.84secs to win the 100m at the Jamaican trials, will be replaced by Shashalee Forbes, who was fourth with 11.04secs in that last month.
This means that debutant Tia Clayton, who enters the Games on a back of a season best 10.86secs and two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce with a season best of 10.91secs, will carry Jamaica's medal hope in the blue riband event.
American world champion Sha'Carri Richardson, who holds the world lead of 10.71secs, will start as the favourite for event.
The USA last won the Olympic 100m title in Atlanta 1996 through Gail Devers. Marion Jones who crossed the line first at Sydney 2000 was stripped of the gold due to doping.
Fraser-Pryce in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 as well as Elaine Thompson-Herah in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 (2021), have won the last four women's Olympic 100m gold medals.
All feeds
