Jamaica’s Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson secured the spotlight in a superb 200m showdown, at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome on Thursday, June 9.
In a field featuring four reigning global champions, it was Jackson who triumphed above them all in the women’s 200m. Blasting out of the blocks, the versatile sprint talent surged off the final bend and couldn’t be caught, setting a meeting record of 21.91 seconds – her third-quickest ever time behind her 21.81 PB set in Zurich last year.
Becoming the first athlete to break 22 seconds in the event at this meeting, the 27-year-old – who also has world and Olympic 400m medals to her name – blazed away ahead of her back-to-Back Olympic 100m and 200m champion compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah 22.25 seconds, Britain’s world defending champion Dina Asher-Smith 22.27 seconds and two-time Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo 22.48 seconds.
American Allyson Felix, in her final season before retirement, was seventh.
The sixth meeting of the season takes place in Oslo on 16 June, with two others after that leading up to the World Championships, which begin in Eugene on 14 July.
