Grace Jackson facts for kids
Grace Jackson (born June 14, 1961) is a former Jamaican athlete who was amazing at running fast races like the 100 and 200 metres. She won a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul for the 200 metres race. Grace also used to hold the Jamaican records for the 200m and 400m races. She was even named Jamaican Sportsperson of the Year twice, in 1986 and 1988!
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Grace's Athletic Journey
Grace Jackson was born in St. Ann, Jamaica. She showed her talent early on. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she made it to the finals of both the 100m and 200m races, finishing fifth in both.
A year later, Grace won the 200m race at the 1985 Summer Universiade, which is a big sports event for university students. She also came second in both the 100m and 200m at the 1985 IAAF World Cup. In 1987, she earned a bronze medal in the 200m at the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
Olympic Success in Seoul
The most exciting part of her career was at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. There, she won a silver medal in the 200m race. She ran an amazing time of 21.72 seconds, which was a new Jamaican record for her! She finished just behind Florence Griffith-Joyner, who set a world record in that race. Grace beat other top runners like Heike Drechsler and her Jamaican teammate Merlene Ottey.
After the Olympics, Grace continued to shine. She won another silver medal in the 200m at the 1989 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Later that year, she set a new Jamaican record for the 400m race with a time of 49.57 seconds. This record stood for 13 years!
Grace finished her international running career at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where she placed sixth in the 200m final.
Grace's Top Achievements
Grace Jackson achieved many great things in her career:
- Olympic Silver Medal: She won a silver medal in the 200 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
- World Indoor Championships Medals: She earned a silver medal in the 200m in 1989 and a bronze medal in the 200m in 1987 at the World Indoor Championships.
- Jamaican Records: Grace held the Jamaican records for the 200m (21.72 seconds in 1988) and 400m (49.57 seconds in 1989).
- Jamaican Sportswoman of the Year: She was recognized as the top sportswoman in Jamaica in both 1986 and 1988.
- Universiade Gold Medal: She won gold in the 200m at the 1985 Universiade.
Images for kids
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The Olympic rings, a symbol of the Olympic Games where Grace Jackson won a silver medal.
See also
In Spanish: Grace Jackson para niños
