Forbes targets World Indoors, Olympics
AT THE lastWorld Indoor Championships, Briana Williams and Shericka Jackson placed fifth and sixth respectively in the 60-metre dash. Judging from her performance over the same distance at last Saturday’s Central Hurdles and Relays at the GC Foster College for Physical Education and Sport on January 20, Shashalee Forbes could follow in their footsteps.
Forbes opened her 2024 season in some style. She dispatched a good field early on with a fine start and cruised across the finish in 7.14 seconds. The 2017 World 200m semi-finalist Jodean Williams and 2022 World Under-20 100 metre runner-up Serena Cole were well back despite personal best times of 7.26 and 7.35 seconds, respectively.
“It felt really great. This is my first run, and to come out here and execute perfectly, it’s a good start,” the 27-year-old SprinTec athlete said.
Conditions were good at GC Foster, with the wind helpful at 1.7 metres per second.
Her fine performance begged the obvious question about her going to Glasgow, Scotland, March 1-3, for the World Indoors. “Yes, it is on my schedule,” she affirmed. “I’m getting ready to compete on the Europe pro circuit at indoor meets, so let’s see how that goes,” she added.
JAMAICAN SPRINT TRADITION
If she or any other Jamaican reaches the 60m final in Glasgow, it will be the maintenance of the nation’s healthy sprint tradition. There has been a Jamaican presence in every World Indoor 60m final from 2010 onward. Since then, Veronica Campbell-Brown and ShellyAnn Fraser Pryce won gold medals in 2012 and 2014, respectively, with Elaine Thompson Herah getting a bronze in 2016 and Remona Burchell, 2018, and Aleen Bailey, 2012, making the last round.
Until last year, Forbes distinguished herself in relays at the top level of the sport, silver for her part in the 2016 Olympic 4x100m heats and bronze from the 2017 World Championships, where she also reached the 200m semis. With technical advice from Maurice Wilson, she hit the accelerator in 2023, slashing her personal best down from 11.10 to 10.96.
Early in the season, the 2016 NACAC Under23 100 champion showed she would be formidable with a personal best - 7.02 seconds - for 60m at the Gibson McCook Relays.
She raced fearlessly and got second in the 100m at the National Championships behind Jackson, and now, the 2017 World Student Games 100m gold medal winner is aiming at an individual event in this year’s Olympics. Speaking in measured tones, she proposed: “I would say I’m training my way to make the Olympic team. That’s my main goal so from now on, I just need to get everything together and then I’ll take it from there.”
Understandably, the former Holmwood Technical speed merchant isn’t getting ahead of herself, but after her win on Saturday, a little smile crept across her face. “As at today,” assessed Forbes, “I feel really great, injury free, so I would say it’s a good start.”