MARRAKESH, Morocco (AFP) — Jamaica’s two-time world champion Shericka Jackson sealed victory in the women’s 200-meter run at the Diamond League meet in Marrakesh on Sunday as she set her focus on this summer’s Paris Olympics.

Jackson, the fastest woman alive over the distance, had twice delayed her return to her favored half-lap event this season. She clocked 22.82 seconds in lane six for the win.

The Jamaican, the first athlete in world champion history to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m — including the 4x100m and 4x400m relays — had to graft for her victory, however. She then grimaced as she watched the replay on the big screen.

“I think it was a pretty good race for the first race of my season,” Jackson insisted after what was her first appearance in track and field’s elite one-day series this year.

“The time is what it is. I tried to focus on my technique and execution. I think I did good.”

“Next? I don’t know. For me it is only the start of the season, I don’t know about the next race. And it is too early to talk about the events I will do at the Paris Olympics,” said Jackson, a six-time Olympic medalist including gold in the 4x100m relay at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.

With the Paris Games just 11 weeks away, Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the reigning Olympic 200m champion, was edged at the line in the 100m by African champion Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon.

Eseme clocked 10.11 seconds into a headwind, De Grasse timing 10.19 seconds in second ahead of Briton Jeremiah Azu.