Fantastic year started slowly for Ricketts
Published:Tuesday | January 21, 2025 | 12:10 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
KERRY-LEE RICKETTS, husband and head coach of the country’s reigning RJRGLEANER National Sportswoman of the Year, Shanieka Ricketts, is labelling the 2024 season ‘fantastic’, especially in light of its slow start.
Ricketts, who earned the Sportswoman of the Year nod on the back of a silver medal in the triple jump at the Paris Olympics last year, was in trouble early in the season.
“It was a fantastic year. However, the year didn’t start out so well as we had a little setback with knee injuries as she (Shanieka Ricketts) only started jumping in May. Her first meet is usually in either January or February but back in 2024, her first meet was the Jamaica Invitational,” explained her coach.
“The fact that we had a late start and she still ended up on the podium showed tenacity,” he said.
According to coach Ricketts, the duo’s training regime always produces the best performance on the biggest stage. Her silver-medal performance, for instance, the coach points us coincided with her season’s best.
This season, he says, will be no different with his athlete scheduled for specific meets where specific goals are targeted.
“Experience has taught us wisely. We always manage to produce big jumps at the major championships whether it’s Commonwealth Games, World Championships or the Olympics. So, it’s nothing new. We will continue to treat some of these meets as development meets, the main aim is to turn up to the National Trials and do well,” he added.
With six national titles under her belt, Shanieka Ricketts is also a two-time World Championship silver medallist, an Olympic silver medallist, a Commonwealth Games champion, and a Diamond League winner.
With this year’s World Championships set for September 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan, which is later than usual, coach Ricketts expects jumps over 15 metres to be the standard.
“At the start every season we know what it’ll take to be on the podium and for this upcoming World Championships, we know that we have to be over 15 metres and be in top shape, yet again,” he stated.
Both winners of the RJRGLEANER National Sportsman and Sportwoman of the Year came from field events with discus thrower Roje Stona copping the male award.
That fact is pleasing for coach Ricketts.
“It wasn’t only for Shanieka, but for field events. For a long time, field events were placed on the back burner and it was difficult for field event athletes to get the highlight. Now that we’re getting the highlight, I’m happy for that.”