19-year-old Shericka Jackson was still discovering how far her talent could take her, but Stephen Francis saw something special in her raw speed. He helped guide her through the 400m, where she won Olympic and World Championship medals, before she transitioned to the 100m and 200m and eventually became the second-fastest woman ever over 200m. Now, after Francis died at 64 in July, Jackson is preparing for her first race since his passing, under the emotional weight of losing her longtime mentor.
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On August 21, Jackson is scheduled to compete in the women’s 200m at the Lausanne Diamond League. Before the meeting, she spoke with Citius Mag about the loss of the coach and admitted that getting back on the track has not been easy.
When asked about Francis and the impact he had on her career, Jackson struggled to hide how deeply his death has affected her.
“It’s been a rough couple of weeks. To know somebody from your… I knew him from [when] I was 19, and now I’m 32. So, for that part of my life, to feel like it’s gone, well, it’s gone forever. I think it’s really rough.”
For Jackson, Francis was more than the coach who helped shape her career. She had known him for most of her adult life, for almost 12 years. While Francis was known for his demanding coaching style, Jackson said she also experienced the kinder side of his personality.
“He was a really, really nice person. Yes, a lot of persons get to probably experience the bad side, they would say, but I get to experience the good side also. He’s somebody [who] will forever be in my heart. Forever grateful for him. And I miss him.”
When asked about the remainder of her season and her plans for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Jackson admitted to still struggling with her emotions.
“I’m trying to come to terms with losing a coach, come to terms with my emotions.” She added, “I’m a very emotional person most of the time, especially when I feel like I’m hurt. And now I’m trying to get on terms with my emotions.”
That honesty makes her return in Lausanne even more meaningful. Jackson is not claiming that she has moved on from Francis’ death. Instead, she is trying to find a way to continue while still carrying the grief.
“With all honesty, I’m not okay,” she says.
Despite that, she has chosen to return to the place that has given her so much throughout her life: the track.
Jackson said, “I’m trying to see how best I can ease how I feel inside just by being out here doing something.”
That process is also connected to her relationship with athletics itself. Jackson has achieved almost everything a sprinter could dream of, yet she admitted that the sport has also brought moments that have taken away some of her joy.
“I’m trying to fall in love with [it] again. I think every time I fall in love with the sport all over again, something happens and takes away a little bit of my joy.”
Still, Jackson is refusing to walk away. She is giving herself time and allowing the healing process to happen gradually. “But I’m trying, and one step at a time.” After all, Francis had already given her the guidance, belief, and foundation she needed to become the champion she is today.
Stephen Francis helped shape Shericka Jackson’s rise to sprint stardom
When Shericka Jackson was 19, she was already showing promise, but Stephen Francis saw much more in her combination of speed and strength. At the time, Jackson had personal bests of 22.84 seconds in the 200m and 51.60 in the 400m, but Francis believed the longer sprint could help unlock her full potential.
Jackson’s favourite event was the 200m, but Francis persuaded her to run the 400m. He believed that training her strength and making her faster in that time would benefit her in the long run over 200m. The results of the plan were soon felt. Jackson was a bronze medalist in the 400m World Championships competition in Beijing in 2015, with a personal best time of 49.99 seconds. She went on to win Olympic bronze in the event in Rio 2016.
But coaches noticed that she was fast in shorter training sessions, and Jackson was brought back to the 100m and 200m. By 2021, she had run 10.77 in the 100m and 21.82 in the 200m, breaking 22 seconds for the first time. She then went on to claim Olympic 100m bronze and the 2022 and 2023 world 200m title.
Moreover, in 2023, Jackson ran 21.41 seconds and became the second-fastest woman ever over 200m. While Stephen Francis didn’t coach every step of her career, his early guidance has helped lay the foundation for Jackson to take her athletics career from a strong start to a worldwide sprint star.