“The World Championship is in September, so I have a lot of time to fix the fine details. It’s my first race since June, so I am just excited to be here,” Shericka Jackson said back in April, speaking ahead of the Xiamen Diamond League. In Xiamen, she clocked 22.79 seconds to finish second in the women’s 200m — not bad at all for someone returning from injury. But this is Shericka Jackson we’re talking about — the reigning world champion in the 200m. She missed the Paris Olympics because of that injury, so naturally, all eyes were on her comeback. And while the result was solid, the big question still hangs in the air: can she bounce back to top form in time to take on Olympic medalists Gabby Thomas and Julien Alfred at the Tokyo World Championships?
So far this outdoor season, Gabby Thomas hasn’t quite hit her stride yet. She’s had a couple of 200m wins in the Grand Slam Track series, but also took a loss to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the third round. On the flip side, Julien Alfred is absolutely on fire in the 200m. Just last weekend at the London Diamond League, she dropped a blazing 21.71 — a new personal best and the fastest time in the world this season. That was her third 200m of the year, and she hasn’t lost one yet. With all that heat on the track, you’ve gotta wonder: what are Shericka Jackson’s chances in Tokyo? She’s coming off an injury and hasn’t fully shown her cards yet. But don’t worry — an American track and field legend just weighed in on exactly that.
On a recent episode of Ready Set Go, Justin Gatlin dove into the whole Shericka Jackson vs. the world conversation. And yeah — he’s still betting on Shericka. “We can’t leave out people who know how to get the job done, right?” Gatlin said. “Shericka Jackson hasn’t been looking like the Shericka Jackson we know of in past years in championships, but she’s steadily trying to climb back up that rank.” Meanwhile, co-host Rodney Green said, “They [the coaching staff] have a lot of time to get Shericka ready to go deep and fight deep with someone like a Gabby and someone like a Julien.” But wait — what makes Shericka such a legit threat to Olympic champ Gabby Thomas and runner-up Julien Alfred, especially when she’s only won one 200m this season? Well, that’s where Gatlin’s insight kicks in. He’s not just looking at times on the board — he’s looking at the setup, the strategy, the timing. And with Coach Stephen Francis in her corner, Gatlin believes Shericka’s not here to peak in April or June. She’s being built for a Tokyo takeover.
On the podcast, Justin Gatlin broke it down. He said, “When you become a seasoned athlete, it’s not about showing dominance always when you’re trying to get the job done or you’re trying to prove a point to your opponents. Sometimes it’s about landing the plane at the exact time it needs to land, which is the finals of that 100 meters or 200 meters.” And honestly, when it comes to Shericka Jackson, there’s no debate about her status. She’s already got two World Championship titles in the 200m. A gold in Tokyo would make it three in a row — that’s legendary territory. Let’s not forget: back in 2023 at the Worlds in Budapest, she ran 21.41. That’s just 0.07 seconds off FloJo’s world record. Yeah, that close. So while she might be easing into things this season, the potential for something massive is very much alive.
Plus, let’s not ignore the head-to-head stats — Shericka Jackson has owned this rivalry so far. She’s beaten Gabby Thomas six times in the 200m, and she’s got a 2–1 edge over Julien Alfred. So really, it all comes down to one race — the women’s 200m final in Tokyo. Win that, and boom — her reign is back on track. Even Gatlin said it straight: if Shericka pulls off the win, nobody’s going to care about her early-season losses. It’ll all be about the comeback, the timing, and the gold. But that brings us to the big question: what’s Shericka’s mindset right now? Is she feeling the pressure? Staying calm? Firing up for something special?
Shericka Jackson is counting big.
Just two seasons ago, Shericka Jackson was running the show in track and field. After an electric 2022 that saw her break through in a big way, she followed it up with the season of her life, dropping personal bests of 10.65 in the 100m and a jaw-dropping 21.41 in the 200m. She wasn’t just winning — she was chasing history.
Fast forward through two injury-rattled years, and now? The former Vere Tech standout is just grateful to be back in the mix, officially punching her ticket to Tokyo for the World Championships this September.
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – SEPTEMBER 08: Shericka Jackson of the United States wins the Diamond League women’s 200 meters race at Roi Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium on September 08, 2023. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Last month at the Jamaican trials, she reminded everyone of her grit, clocking a season’s best 10.88 in the 100m final to grab second place. Her first sub-11 of the year. A sign she’s steadily climbing back. And if there were still any doubts, her words at the Xiamen Diamond League press conference made it crystal clear: “Coach and I sat down, and we had a conversation during the Olympics, and I think going home was the best thing at that moment, but we work on the fine details of getting healthy, and I took some time to get healthy, and I am excited.” Excited, Shericka? Healthy, Shericka? Yeah — the track world knows exactly what that version is capable of. And if she finds her groove again in Tokyo… buckle up.
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