Olympic Games and World Championships medalist Shanieka Ricketts has made an impassioned appeal to local sponsors to extend their support to Jamaica’s field event athletes.
Speaking after claiming her seventh consecutive national triple jump title at the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston, Ricketts called for change.
Shanieka Ricketts secured the victory with a fifth-round jump of 14.52m (-0.3m/s). She came from behind to overtake Ackelia Smith, who had taken the early lead with a season’s best of 14.44m (1.3m/s) in the opening round.
“Very blessed,” Ricketts said, reflecting on the win. “This is my seventh national title. Ackelia Smith didn’t make it any easier for me. She decided to go big on the first round and I didn’t get a chance to catch up to her until the fifth round.”
“Overall, a very good competition and I’m just looking forward to getting ready for the big games.”
Local Sponsorship
But beyond her seventh crown, the 33-year-old took a moment to spotlight an important milestone in her journey. She secured local sponsorship deal, which she signed last week with Dolla Financial Services as a brand ambassador.
“Yes, that’s very exciting,” she said. “My first local sponsorship, and I hope that will inspire other corporate companies to come on board and support our field events, because as you see, we’re doing exceptionally well.”
Ricketts, who has long been one of Jamaica’s most consistent and decorated field athletes, has often flown under the radar compared to her track counterparts.
A two-time NCAA champion while competing for San Diego State University. Ricketts has since carved out a stellar professional career. She claimed silver medals at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and more recently at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with a personal best of 15.03m, achieved at the 2023 Diamond League Final in Eugene.
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