Shericka Jackson, Shelly-Ann Fraser, and Oblique Seville played pivotal roles in securing two sprint relay medals for Jamaica on the penultimate day of the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships, held on August 26.
The Jamaican women’s team, comprising Natasha Morrison, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shashalee Forbes, and Shericka Jackson, clocked a season-best time of 41.21, securing the silver medal. They trailed behind the USA team, which included Tamari Davis, Twanisha Terry, Gabrielle Thomas, and Sha’Carri Richardson, who set a championship record with a time of 41.03.
Speaking on behalf of the team, Forbes stated, “We’re not disappointed. It was a great race. They were very tough. We went out to deliver, and we are happy and pleased with what we got.”
The Jamaican men’s 4x100m relay team, initiated by Ackeem Blake and followed by Oblique Seville, Ryiem Forde, and Rohan Watson, bagged the bronze medal with a time of 37.62. They finished behind the USA’s 37.38 and Italy’s 37.62. The United States team consisted of Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, Brandon Carnes, and the sprint double champion, Noah Lyles.
This medal marked Jamaica’s first in this event since the Beijing 2015 World Athletics Championships, recalling the London 2017 event where Usain Bolt pulled up during the anchor leg.
Seville on Jamaica’s Budapest 2023 Medal: ‘We Want to Continue to Deliver Medals’
Seville, expressing his delight, said, “This is a new generation, and we are proud to bring home the bronze. Sprinting in Jamaica is at a really high level, and we have a sprinting legacy. We all want to do sprints, and we have really competitive athletes in the team. This medal gives us extra motivation for the upcoming Olympic Games. We want to continue to deliver medals for Jamaica.”
In the women’s shot put, Danniel Thomas-Dodd registered a throw of 19.59m, landing her in fifth place. Chase Ealey of the USA clinched the top spot with a season-best throw of 20.32m, followed by Sarah Mitton of Canada, who also achieved a season-best with 20.08m.
Jamaica’s Relay 4x400m Teams Advance to Finals, Set Eyes on Gold at Budapest 2023 Championships
Both Jamaican 4x400m relay teams advanced to the finals of their respective events.
In the men’s 4x400m relay, Rusheen McDonald, Jevaughn Powell, Zandrion Barnes, and D’Andre Anderson propelled Jamaica to a first-place finish in Heat 2, clocking a time of 2:59.82 and outpacing France’s 3:00.05.
The women’s 4x400m relay saw Charokee Young, Nickisha Price, Shiann Salmon, and Stacey-Ann Williams team up to set a world-leading time of 3:22.74 in the heats.
Williams commented on their performance, “We did not expect to run a world lead tonight, but we knew we had been working hard. Even though this may or may not be the final team, we are proud we ran fast in the qualifications. We are here to win.”
In other track and field news updates, photos from the Budapest 2023 Championships can be seen at this link
