Return from a long-term injury always leaves room for doubt in an athlete’s mind, and the world’s fastest woman alive is no different. It’s changed the way Shericka Jackson approached her 2026 season, easing back into it rather than forcing it. But as she crossed sixth at the Eugene DL, more than two-tenths behind winner Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, the gap spoke for itself. Jackson didn’t shy away from explaining why.

After all, the 31-year-old spent the end of 2024 and most of 2025 recovering from an injury-laden few months. It was arguably the worst time of her life, something Jackson believed was one of the darkest periods of her career. More than that, it has affected how her 2026 season has gone, with the Jamaican opting to take things easy.

“I think, as I said, sometimes when you get hurt you can’t really rush your body ’cause… I felt like my body went back to square one, and then it’s just coming back. So it’s nothing I need to rush, to stay home,” Jackson told reporters after the race.

In fact, that’s also why the JAAA included her only in the 4x100m relay at the upcoming Commonwealth Games, even though the 31-year-old is the fastest woman alive in the 200m and the seventh fastest woman ever in the 100m. Only a handful of athletes are faster than her, and out of that list, only a select few will be in Glasgow for the event.

The stage would likely have been a perfect fit for Shericka Jackson to cement her comeback; however, the 31-year-old is not interested.

“Honestly, I’ve said it at the Jamaica Trials, I wasn’t interested in the Commonwealth,” she explained. “That’s probably one of the reasons why after the 100 I, um, took a chance with not running the 200, despite under racing two times before the National Trials.”

She added, “I wasn’t going to Commonwealth at all. But to run a leg of relay just to keep me sharp for the rest of the season, I think that is fair enough for me.”

More than anything, for Shericka Jackson, 2026 represents an off year. One where she’ll simply focus on recovery and being her best on the road to LA 2028. After all, the year is one without a World Championship or Olympics, a rare one in recent times. Some athletes used that as a chance to experiment, like Femke Broeders-Bol, while others are using it to return to fitness.

Jackson is in the latter category after three injuries derailed her 2024 and 2025 seasons. By mid-2025, Jackson was back to winning ways, although her rustiness showed. It’s why she skipped the 2026 indoor season and focused solely on returning to her best. So far, that has worked, with the Jamaican winning two DLs, albeit in the 200m, before her appearance at the Eugene DL. 

Yet while Jackson’s long-term goal may still be LA 2028, that mindset shift has changed more than just her schedule. For the first time in years, the Jamaican is allowing herself to enjoy the process rather than chase every result.

Shericka Jackson focused on having fun in 2026

First, it was her hamstring that forced her out of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 31-year-old was a DNS and pulled out of the 200m. Then two more injuries meant that she was forced into recovery in the first half of 2025. It left the Jamaican superstar in a dark place mentally as her body took its time to recover.

That, more than anything, showed during the 2025 Tokyo Worlds, which she felt was a failure. That’s despite winning bronze in the 200m, a discipline where no woman alive has clocked a faster time than her. However, it forced Shericka Jackson to rethink and reconfigure her plans for 2026, with the 31-year-old now mainly focused on keeping herself fit and firing.

“Yes, I’m definitely having some fun,” Jackson said after the Eugene DL. “As I said, I haven’t raced a lot. This is my third race since the Jamaica Trials, the fourth race. But as I said, I came here just to run one round, and then I came and found out that it’s two rounds, which my body just finished Jamaica Trials.”

“So, you know, sometimes, as I said, my body has to take a little time to come back. But I’m happy. I’m getting back to full fitness. The greatest thing is it’s not a competition here like that, so I’m happy and I’m okay.”

Shericka Jackson accepted the loss because her priorities now extend well beyond one Diamond League finish. After two injury-hit seasons, getting back to full fitness matters more than beating Jefferson-Wooden in July.