Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson, who is one of only three women to achieve a sprint double in the Diamond League, was voted in as one of the five finalists for the Women’s World Athlete of the Year award from World Athletics on November 13, 2023.
The Selection Process
Jackson and the other finalists were chosen through a three-way voting process. The World Athletics Council and World Athletics Family cast their votes by email, while fans made their choices known on the World Athletics social media platforms, casting a record 2 million votes. The five finalists were determined by the number of votes each received in the first round of voting in which 11 athletes were originally named as award candidates. The World Athletes of the Year will be announced on World Athletics’ platforms on December 11, 2023, during the year’s World Athletics Awards.
Jackson’s Impressive Year
Jackson, who is the second fastest woman in history in the 200 meters, ended her 2023 competitions in September with the gold double win at the Diamond League, running the 100 meters in 10.70 seconds and the 200 meters in 21.57 seconds, a new record at the meet. In August at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Jackson established a national record in the 200 meters with a time of 21.41 seconds, just shy of the world record of 21.34 seconds set by Florence Griffith-Joyner of the United States. She set a new personal best and a new world record in the 100 meters in July at Kingston’s National Stadium as well. Currently, Jackson is the only athlete in the history of the World Championship to win medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters. She became the second athlete in history to win medals in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 4×100-meter, and 4×400-meter events at the World Championships and/or Olympic Games.
Other Nominees
Jackson, the only finalist from North America, is competing for the title with Berlin marathon winner and World marathon record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia, World 400-meter hurdles champion Femke Bol of The Netherlands, World 1500-meter record holder and World 1500-meter and 5000-meter champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya, and triple jump world and Diamond League champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela.
