Triple jumper Ricketts targets 2027 season return

Having taken the 2026 season off following the birth of her first child, Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts is eager to get her career back on track and is targeting a return to competitive action next season, according to her husband and coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts.

Ricketts, 34, is a two-time World Championships silver medallist in the triple jump and owns a personal best of 15.03 metres. She last competed at the World Championships in 2025, where she finished fifth in the event.

Her decision to take a break this season was aimed at giving her body an opportunity to recover, but Kerry-Lee noted that the experienced jumper remains highly motivated and is already preparing for her return.

“Shanieka will be back next season. She is learning the sport. I know that she is in her 30s, but triple jump is not the sprints, so she still has a lot more to give, and there are a lot of things that we can work on and improve on,” Kerry-Lee said.

He stated that Shanieka had an impressive start to last season before a knee injury affected her campaign.

“Last season, you would have noticed that she won the first four Diamond Leagues, and then she started to fumble when she had a little knee injury; and even with that she was fifth at the World Championships last year,” he said.

Kerry-Lee said the decision to step away from competition this year has allowed Shanieka to address some physical issues while also preparing properly for a gradual return.

“She has taken a break and allowed certain things to heal, and so we just basically gave her the opportunity to come back even stronger next season,” he said.

“She is very motivated, and we have already planned how we will be introducing her back next season. We will take it one step at a time in terms of not rushing her, because the World Championships next year is all the way down in September, so that will give us a lot of time to seek qualification and get in shape.”

Kerry-Lee also said they have already identified areas that need attention ahead of next season and beyond, with the 2028 Olympic Games also forming part of their long-term planning.

“We have identified some of the things that we need to focus on as well for next year, and going into the Olympics two years after,” he said.

Despite her achievements, including Olympic and World Championships medals, Kerry-Lee shared that Shanieka has not received the level of recognition her career warrants.

“She is a very experienced campaigner. I think Shanieka is one of the most decorated athletes in Jamaica in the field events, but I don’t think she gets the respect that she basically deserves,” he said.