Shericka Jackson admits her focus this year is to have fun and stay healthy as she prepares to compete at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The five-time Olympic medallist shared that perspective following her sixth-place finish in the women’s 100m at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this month, when she clocked 11.02 seconds.
That result came after a strong return to competition at last month’s Jamaican Athletics Championships, where Jackson reclaimed the national 100m title in a season’s best 10.81, finishing ahead of 21-year-old defending champion Tina Clayton.
Jackson’s season has also included two Diamond League 200m victories in the People’s Republic of China as she continues her measured return following the injury issues which ruled her out of Paris 2024.
“I’m happy,” said the 31-year-old athletics star. “I’m getting back to full fitness and that’s the greatest thing.”
Jackson is now ready to race for Jamaica in the women’s 4x100m relay at the Commonwealth Games, which get underway on Thursday (23 July).
- Commonwealth Games 2026: Shericka Jackson headlines Jamaica’s athletics roster, Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville and Elaine Thompson-Herah absent
- Shericka Jackson: Top things you did not know about Jamaica’s sprint star
Shericka Jackson racing Commonwealth Games relay to “stay sharp”
Jackson’s 2026 season has already featured relay success, having helped Jamaica’s women’s 4x100m relay squad claim gold at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana in May, securing qualification for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic 4×100m relay champion’s inclusion in Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games relay squad adds further strength to a team looking to return to the podium after missing out at Paris 2024. Jackson was absent from that race, as she was at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, when Jamaica finished second behind Team USA.
As well as Jackson, the Jamaican relay squad at Glasgow 2026 includes Lavanya Williams, Alana Reid, Ashanti Moore, Jodean Williams and Jonielle Smith.
Jackson has explained that the Commonwealth Games are not her top priority as she continues to manage her return to full fitness. As such, she has opted out of the individual events, with Smith and Williams set to contest the 100m, while Reid, Williams and Moore will line up in the 200m.
Jackson’s decision mirrors the approach she took at the Jamaican National Championships, where she competed only in the 100m after successfully completing the sprint double at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
“Sometimes when you get hurt, you can’t really rush your body,” she said. “I felt like my body went back to square one, and then it was just about coming back, so it’s nothing I need to rush.
“To run a leg [in the relay] just to keep me sharp for the rest of the season, I think that’s fair enough for me.”
Jackson’s only previous Commonwealth Games appearance came at Gold Coast 2018, where she claimed silver in the women’s 200m.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/shericka-jackson-commonwealth-games-2026-glasgow-jamaica-fitness-4×100-interview
