After witnessing her deliver career-best performances at Jamaica’s national championships in Kingston this past weekend, noted track and field broadcaster and coach Ato Boldon, expects Shericka Jackson to be among the medals at the Olympic Games this summer.

On Friday, in the semi-finals of the 100m, Jackson ran a time of 10.77s that made her the third fastest woman in the world this year behind Shelly-Ann–Fraser-Pryce, who leads the world with her career-best 10.63 in June and Sha Carri Richardson’s 10.72 in April.

Then on Sunday, the 26-year-old former Vere Technical star, clocked a jaw-dropping 21.82 in the final of the half-lap sprint. It was a performance only bettered this year by American Gabby Thomas’ 21.61 run at the US trials on Saturday, and Fraser-Pryce’s 21.79, career-best times for both women.

On the back of those performances, the 47-year-old Boldon, who won bronze medals in the 100m and 200m in Atlanta in 1996, and a silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m in Sydney in 2000, believes these performances indicate that Jackson, a 400m bronze medalist at the Rio 2016 Games and World Championships in Doha in 2019, will be among the medals in the shorter sprints in Tokyo.

“In Tokyo, I expect that she will medal in both sprints events,” said Boldon, who has witnessed remarkable performances up close having finished third in the 1996 Olympics 200m final behind Michael Johnson, who ran a sensational world record of 19.32.

Jackson has been a winner all her life.

Between 2008 and 2013, she won 11 gold medals, four silver medals and a bronze at the Carifta Games. At the 2009 games in St Lucia, she famously won four gold medals, winning the U17 200m in 23.62, the 400m in 53.48 and as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams.

As a senior, she has won gold medals as a member of Jamaica’s mile-relay team at the 2015 World Championships and the 4x200m team at the 2016 World Relays. In 2019, she anchored Jamaica’s 4x100m at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

This past weekend, in her first campaign over the 100m as a senior, Jackson’s 10.77 makes her one of the fastest ever Jamaican women as only Fraser-Pryce (10.63), Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.70), Merlene Ottey (10.74), Kerron Stewart (10.75) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (10.76) have run faster.

Jackson, who ran 10.82 for second place in Friday night’s final, also joins the pantheon of Jamaican greats over 200m as only Ottey (21.64), Thompson-Herah (21.65) Campbell-Brown (21.74) and Fraser-Pryce (21.79) have been quicker.

She is also the first Jamaican woman to run below 11 seconds over 100m, under 22 seconds for 200m and faster than 50 seconds over 400m and one of only 10 women in history to achieve the feat.

She credits hard work during the pre-season for her rapid rise this season.

“Dedication and hard work. For me this is a one-of-a-kind occasion,” she posted on Instagram.

When my coach (Paul Francis) and I decided not to participate in the 40m and instead focus on the 100/200m, I was excited. The hard work paid off and I am overjoyed to be selected for my second Olympic team this time for the 100m and 200 metres.

“In my semi, I set a new personal best of 10.77, the 13th fastest time in history and the sixth-fastest by a Jamaican. I also set a new personal best in the 200m with a time of 21.82 and became the first Jamaican to run sub-11, sub-22 and sub-50, respectively,” Jackson said.

“The work is only getting started,” she added ominously.

Boldon said he doesn’t think people have yet realized the significance of her performances.

“I don’t think she will get credit for what she has done but for someone at this stage to step down and run those times is just amazing,” said the 47-year-old Boldon, who coaches Briana Williams, the 2018 WorldU20 sprint double champion. Briana Williams is also the national U20 100m record holder.

“That 10.77, in particular, is one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen from a 400m runner at this stage of her career.”