Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson will not compete in the women’s 200m semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics later today after making a glaring mistake in the heats.
Jackson is the third-fastest in the world over the distance this year and won a bronze medal as part of a Jamaica one-two-three in the 100m, but was left red-faced in Monday’s heats.
The 27-year-old was in second place coming into the final few metres of her heat before she eased off the pace to jog across the line.
That turned out to be a huge error, with Portugal’s Lorene Dorcas Bazolo and Italy's Dalia Kaddari finishing strongly to knock her down to fourth place.
Jackson’s time of 23.26 seconds appeared to be the same as Kaddari but she was adjudged to be four one-thousandths of a second slower than the Italian and also missed out on a fastest loser place.
Commentator and former middle distance runner Steve Cram summed up the reaction on the BBC.
“Shericka Jackson was almost just jogging round,” he said. “What on earth? Why take such risks?
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“I'm sorry to sound exasperated but I am, on her behalf, on her coach's behalf and her team-mates. It's just not necessary.”
There were no such problems for Jackson’s Jamaican team-mates Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who both did enough to make it safely through to the semi-finals.
Defending champion and 100m winner Thompson-Herah maintained her bid to complete the sprint double-double by qualifying third in 22.86.
Fraser-Pryce, 200m silver medallist in 2012, won her heat comfortably to progress in 22.22.
Beth Dobbin - Great Britain's only 200m hope after Dina Asher-Smith withdrew with a hamstring injury - qualified in second in her heat in a time of 22.78.
The Netherland’s Dafne Schippers, who won a silver medal in 2016, Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou and USA trio Gabby Thomas, Anavia Battle and Jenna Prandini all advanced.
Beatrice Masilingi and Christine Mboma also made it through to the semi-finals, which take place later on Monday before the final on Tuesday.
The Namibian 18-year-olds had to make a late change to the 200m after tests of their heightened testosterone levels last month meant they were ruled ineligible to compete over any longer distances.
Running the unfamiliar sprint distance didn’t appear to be a problem though, as Masilingi posted a personal best of 22.63 behind Fraser-Pryce and Mboma chased down Thomas and win her heat in 22.11, the fastest time of the day.
