BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, September 07–08 — Eight minutes after Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s demolition of the men’s 2000m standard, Shericka Jackson stepped to the blocks in the women’s 200 having floated World Record thoughts of her own through the sellout Memorial Van Damme crowd.
Jackson had rushed to the No. 2 all-time clocking in Budapest to repeat as half-lap world champ and told the press here, “I hope to get it.” Starting from lane 6, the 29-year-old Jamaican tore out of the blocks and made up the stagger on Britain’s Darryl Neita (7) almost immediately. She had a lead of 2m when she hit the straight and it grew dramatically.
The stunning size of her eventual margin over runner-up Anthonique Strachan of the Bahamas — 8m at the finish — gave rise to hopes that Flojo’s 21.34 had finally fallen, but the rest of the field did not respond as well to the wide turn on the fast track.
Jackson had to settle for a 21.48 DL Record with an 0.2 wind, the fourth-fastest time in history. Strachan finished in 22.31, American Jenna Prandini in 22.47.
When she saw the time on the screen, Jackson stuck out her tongue. “You just have to put in your best and that´s what I did today,” she said. “It felt really good tonight, I definitely feel like I´m getting there, closer to that record. But it´s also important to have some fun and I really had fun tonight.”
The women’s javelin produced big excitement as world champ Haruka Kitaguchi came from behind Austria’s Victoria Hudson on the final throw to win with a world-leading 221-1 (67.38), a Japanese Record.
“I still have some goals to chase this season,” she said. “I hope to throw over 68. Maybe at the DL Final.”
A fast 1500 saw Laura Muir take over with 500 left and drive hard through a 60.03 final lap, defeating Ireland’s Ciara Mageean for only the second time in four encounters this season. She ran 3:55.34 to Mageean’s Irish Record 3:55.87.
Well behind in 8th, Huntington frosh Addy Wiley (3:59.17) edged Sinclaire Johnson (3:59.19) at the line in running the fastest-ever collegiate mark in the post-season, topping Jenny (Barringer) Simpson’s 3:59.90.
Perhaps more significant, the 19-year-old Hoosier is now the youngest American to break the 4:00 barrier, and she joined Mary Slaney as the only American to break both…
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