John Steffensen shared that he encountered Shericka Jackson just hours prior to her unexpected withdrawal from the Olympic Games.
The Australian athletics icon has expressed confidence that the Jamaican athlete strived hard to participate in both the 100m and 200m events in Paris.
Earlier this week, Jackson decided to withdraw from the 100m in order to concentrate on the 200m, which she has won at the last two World Championships.
However, she did not appear for the 100m event on Sunday, leading to uncertainty about her participation in the upcoming 4x100m relay.
Stan Sport athletics analyst Steffensen, who earned a silver medal in the men’s 4x400m relay in Athens, believes Jackson made the prudent choice.
‘I saw Shericka yesterday; she was… I won’t disclose her location, but she has genuinely done everything possible to reach the Olympic Games,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Together with her coach, Steve Francis, they have vast experience at this level. Over the last three or four years, she’s reached the zenith of world sprinting, and they recognized it wouldn’t be beneficial for her to compete unless she was at 100 percent.’
‘As seen in the initial days of the athletics events, if you’re not at your best, good luck. The competitors are prepared, and those that aren’t established like Julien Alfred will shine. We witnessed that last night.’
John Steffensen has provided his insights on Shericka Jackson’s exit from the 200m
The Australian legend met with Jackson on Saturday and believes her decision was correct
The specific reasons for Jackson’s withdrawal have yet to be made clear, but this constitutes another significant setback for Jamaica, especially following the withdrawal of renowned sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from the 100m semi-finals on Saturday evening.
Fraser-Pryce, who was the 100m Olympic champion in 2008 and 2012, has battled injuries this season but had easily progressed through her heat on Friday morning.
However, it was confirmed she would not compete just moments before the semi-finals began.
Both Jackson and Fraser-Pryce were anticipated to spearhead Jamaica’s relay team, raising doubts about their participation in the event.
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