Shanieka Ricketts turned the National Stadium’s runway into her personal boardroom on Saturday night, stamping a decisive fifth-round 14.52 m leap to lock up her seventh successive Jamaican triple-jump crown.
The two-time global medalist spent the early rounds in the shadow of rising star Ackelia Smith, who opened with a season-best 14.44 m and then smartly shut it down after two attempts—her long-jump gold from Thursday already secured. But order eventually re-asserted itself: Ricketts regrouped, tightened her phases, and sailed past Smith’s mark with a brisk tailwind of –0.3 m/s, reminding everyone why she owns this event in Kingston.
Veteran competitor Kimberly Williams, 36, showed there’s still bounce in those seasoned legs, producing a 13.80 m effort into a stiff –2.5 m/s breeze to round out the podium.
With Paris on the horizon and a deep national field nipping at her heels, Ricketts’ message was unmistakable: the throne isn’t up for grabs just yet.
