Grace Jackson (born Juny 14, 1961) is a Jamaican former athlete who competed mainly in the 100 and 200 metres. She won an Olympic silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and is a former Jamaican record-holder in the 200m and 400m. She was Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1988.

Grace Jackson
Medal record
Women's Athletics
Representing  Jamaica
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1988 Seoul 200 metres
World Indoor Championships
Silver medal – second place 1989 Budapest 200 metres
Bronze medal – third place 1987 Indianapolis 200 metres

Career

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Born in St. Ann, Jamaica, West Indies Federation, Jackson reached the 100m and 200m finals in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, finishing fifth in both. A year later, she won the 200m title at the 1985 Universiade and finished second in the 100m and 200m at the 1985 IAAF World Cup. She won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships behind Heike Drechsler and Merlene Ottey.

The highlight of her career was at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where she won a silver medal in the 200m behind Florence Griffith-Joyner's still-standing world record of 21.34. Jackson ran a Jamaican record time of 21.72 seconds that was .01 seconds short of the pre-Olympic world record Griffith-Joyner broke. In the process, she finished ahead of then-200m World Champion Silke Moller (5th), Heike Drechsler (3rd) and teammate Merlene Ottey (4th). Ottey would regain the Jamaican record in 1990. She won a silver medal in the 200m at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships behind Ottey. Later that year she broke the Jamaican 400m record with a time of 49.57 seconds, which would stand as the national record for 13 years. In November 1990, she married Hugh Small.

Jackson concluded her international career by finishing sixth in the 200m final at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.[1]

Achievements

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Personal Bests:

  • 100 metres – 11.08sec (1988) – also ran 10.97 wind-assisted (+3.0) in 1988
  • 200 metres – 21.72sec (1988) – stood as Jamaican Record from 1988 to 1990
  • 400 metres – 49.57sec (1988) – stood as Jamaican Record from 1989 to 2002
  • Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year in 1986 and 1988
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing   Jamaica
1976 CARIFTA Games (U-20) Nassau, Bahamas 2nd High jump 1.65m
1978 CARIFTA Games (U-20) Nassau, Bahamas 3rd 100m hurdles 16.56s
Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U-20) Xalapa, México 1st High jump 1.65m A
1982 Commonwealth Games Brisbane, Australia 7th 200 m 23.25
3rd 4 × 100 m 43.69
1983 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 5th 200 m 22.63 (wind 1.5)
heats 4 × 400 m 3:34.17
1984 Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 5th 100 m 11.39
5th 200 m 22.20
8th 4 × 100 m 53.54
5th 4 × 400 m 3:27.51
1985 Universiade Kobe, Japan 3rd 100 m 11.35
1st 200 m 22.59
World Cup Canberra, Australia =2nd 100 m 11.30
2nd 200 m 22.61
4th 4 × 100 m 43.39
1987 World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 3rd 200 m 23.21
1988 Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 4th 100 m 10.97w
2nd 200 m 21.72
4 × 100 m DNS final
1989 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 2nd 200 m 22.95
World Cup Barcelona, Spain 3rd 200 m 22.87
4th 4 × 100 m 43.58
1st 4 × 400 m 3:23.05
1992 Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 6th 200 m 22.58

References

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  1. ^ Personalities – SMALL, Grace Jackson, The Gleaner Company Limited, retrieved 20 January 2012
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