SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego State Hall of Famer Shanieka Ricketts won silver for Jamaica in the triple jump at the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Saturday, becoming the second alumna of the Aztec track and field team to medal on the world's biggest stage.
According to SDSU, Ricketts leaped 14.61 meters on her first jump of the afternoon, which ranked as the second-longest jump out of the field through the first round. When she returned to the runway for round two, Ricketts soared an impressive 14.87 meters across the dirt, locking up a spot in the top eight for an additional three jumps.
On her sixth and final jump of the day, she flew 14.73 meters. At that point, she had already earned a spot on the podium, SDSU says.
Ricketts' 14.87-meter jump was not only her season best but also the longest jump she's had in three Olympic appearances.
Thea Lafond of Dominica beat Ricketts out for gold, leaping 15.02 meters. American Jasmine Moore rounded out the podium, jumping 14.67 meters.
SDSU says Lynn Kanuka was the first Aztec women's track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal, earning bronze in the 3,000-meter run during the 1984 games.
Ricketts' profile on the official Olympics website indicates she graduated from SDSU in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in Economics. She was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame in 2019.
