…It’s the experienced sprinter tenth national title across 100m and 200m
Olympian Shericka Jackson reclaimed her title from reigning champion Tina Clayton in a thrilling women’s 100m final at the 2026 Jamaican Athletics Championships on Friday.
In a race befitting the prestige of the national championships, Jackson produced a season-best 10.81 seconds to secure the title by just 0.04 seconds ahead of Clayton at Kingston’s National Stadium.
The victory saw the five-time Olympic medallist claim her first national 100m crown since the Paris 2024 Olympics and exact revenge for the defeat she suffered to Clayton on the same track a year ago.
Jackson’s winning time matched the mark Clayton used to win the title in 2025, underlining the quality of the contest.
Clayton, 21, continued to cement her status as one of Jamaica’s brightest sprinting talents, clocking 10.85 seconds to finish second and strengthen her case for selection to the 2026 Commonwealth Games team.
Jonielle Smith completed the podium in 10.94 seconds, joining Jackson and Clayton as the only athletes to break the 11-second barrier in the final.
Ashanti Moore and Jodean Williams followed closely behind, both recording 11.08 seconds. Moore was awarded fourth place after a photo-finish review, with Williams settling for fifth.
Jackson’s triumph further enhances her remarkable domestic record, giving the experienced sprinter a tenth national title across the 100m and 200m. More importantly, it provides a timely confidence boost as she builds towards the major international championships later this season.
With Jackson and Clayton now trading victories over the past two years, Jamaica appears to have found its next great sprint rivalry following the retirement of three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
By Maxwell Kumoye
