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Shericka Jackson finished second in her first outing over the distance, clocking 22.79 seconds behind American Anavia Battle, who won in a meeting record of 22.41s.
Shericka Jackson made her much-anticipated return to the track after a nine-month injury layoff, finishing second in her comeback race on Saturday (April 26) at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, China.
The Jamaican sprint queen, who had not competed since July 2024 and was forced to miss the Paris Olympics due to injury, clocked 22.79 seconds in the women’s 200m at the Egret Stadium.
Racing from lane six, Jackson got off to a strong start, matching strides with Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji around the curve. Although Kambundji faded in the home straight, it was American Anavia Battle, surging from the outside, who seized control over the final 80 meters to clinch the win in a meeting record of 22.41.
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Jackson, however, held on for second ahead of U.S. compatriot Jenna Prandini, and afterward struck a positive tone despite the defeat.
"I'm feeling good. I just wanted to see where I'm at, and I think I did pretty good tonight. It's obviously a nice place to be in April," she said after the race.
The 30-year-old, the second-fastest woman in history over 200m thanks to her dazzling 21.41 run last year, stressed that health is her top priority in 2025.
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"Honestly, coach and I will have to sit down and analyze. That race is not for me to assess. As I said, I'm healthy, so I'm good," Jackson added.
"I actually feel good. As I said, I just wanted to finish healthy — and I finished healthy, so I'm okay."
Jackson’s measured approach reflects the wisdom of a seasoned athlete who knows the championship season is still months away. After a 2024 campaign riddled with setbacks, her focus now is simple: stay healthy, build gradually, and strike when it matters most.
Before the race the two-time world champion, had insisted she was taking a measured approach, focusing on building back her form as she eyes the World Athletics Championships later this year in Japan.
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Jackson made the declaration on the eve of her 200m season opener at the Wanda Diamond League curtain-raiser in Xiamen, as she acknowledged that Florence Griffith-Joyner’s longstanding 21.34-second mark remains a goal, but not a burden.
"For me, I think in 2023 I had a really good shot, and I was brave enough to say it because at one time, I wasn’t brave enough to say I wanted to break the world record,” Jackson shared candidly during a press conference.
"It is something that I still have in mind. Do I focus on it? No. I just take it each step at a time, and I think if it’s supposed to be, then it will come," she added.
And if Jackson’s career to date is anything to go by, it’s only a matter of time before she reminds the world exactly why she remains one of the brightest stars in global sprinting.
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