Ricketts still on track - ... despite no meets

Despite not being able to compete for an extended period because of the lack of availability of track meet due to COVID 19, Kerry Lee Ricketts, the coach of World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts, says that they are not letting the setback interfere with the jumper's preparation for the Tokyo Olympics.

The local track and field season is yet to get off the ground as approval is still being sought to restart events, while international restrictions regarding travel have made participation for meets overseas complicated.

However, Kerry Lee says that despite the challenges preparing for an abnormal campaign, he is grateful that it has not affected Shaneika's training for the rescheduled Games.

Training programme

"We are blessed to approach our training programme in the same way whether or not there was a pandemic. We are actually doing the same programme. We are blessed that we have access to a gym, to recovery and a training ground," Ricketts told STAR Sports. "We are putting in the work to get the result should the Olympics go ahead, which I believe it will."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Games because of the current state of emergency in Tokyo, they are still slated to begin in July. While local athletics continues to stall, indoor meets have taken place in the United States and in Europe. When asked if Shanieka faces any disadvantages from the lack of competition, he says that they have addressed it by having competition-type training with event-style conditions to ensure that there isn't a gap between the other athletes.

"We create competition-type days whether or not she gets to travel. I coach other triple jumpers. I have a few developing triple jumpers who are jumping similar to where she is, so she does get to compete with some of the guys who are at her level," Ricketts says. "We have a wind gage; we have everything just like a track meet."

Ricketts says that the main priority is to get as much local competition as they can, and he is optimistic that they will be able to have domestic meets for Shaneika to test herself before the Games. Additionally, the unpredictability of the international calendar has only highlighted the importance in his mind of remaining at home to prepare.