Aussie Olympics legend lifts lid on Shericka Jackson’s withdrawal from Paris Games that has left Jamaica reeling

John Steffensen says he ran into Shericka Jackson just hours before her shock withdrawal from the Olympic Games.

And the Australian track legend believes the Jamaican gave it her all to make it to the start line for the 100m and 200m events in Paris.

Jackson had pulled out of the 100m earlier this week in a bid to focus on the 200m – the event that she has won at each of the last two World Championships.

But she failed to take to the start line on Sunday, and it now remains to be seen whether she will compete in the 4x100m relay in the coming days.

And Stan Sport athletics expert Steffensen, who famously won silver in the men’s 4x400m relay in Athens, believes Jackson made the right decision. 

‘I saw Shericka yesterday she was… I won’t disclose where she was, but she has done everything she possibly could to make it to the Olympic Games,’ he told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Between herself and her coach, Steve Francis, they are experienced at this level. You know, she’s been the pinnacle of world sprinting in the last three, four years and they knew it wouldn’t be worth it for her to go out there not being 100 per cent. 

‘As we’ve seen in the first three or four days of the athletics program, if you’re not coming 100 per cent, good luck, because the athletes are ready to rock and the ones that that are that haven’t made a name for themselves like Julien Alfred will. We saw that last night.’

The Aussie legend saw Jackson on Saturday and believes she made the right call

The reason behind Jackson’s withdrawal is yet to be clarified, but it represents another major blow for Jamaica after legendary sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the 100m semi-finals on Saturday evening.

Fraser-Pryce – the 100m Olympic champion in 2008 and 2012 – has had an injury-hit season, but cruised through her heat on Friday morning.

However, it was confirmed that she would not be racing just moments before the semi-finals got underway.

Jackson and Fraser-Pryce would be expected to lead Jamaica’s relay team, but must now be considered doubts for the event.

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