Sport

I'll be back - Campbell

By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Silver medallist Veronica Campbell (left) of Jamaica poses with gold medallist Lauryn Williams (centre) of the United States and France's Christine Arron following the women's 100 metres medal ceremony yesterday. - reuters

HELSINKI, FINLAND

JAMAICA'S TOP FEMALE sprinter, Veronica Campbell, admitted on Saturday night that she had her mind fixed on the women's sprint double in the run up to the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

"My main aim coming here was to win the double," Campbell said after leading Jamaica to a silver in the 4x100m at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The United States won in a world leading 41.78 with Jamaica second in a season best 41.99. Belarus were third in 42.56.

Campbell, who ended the championships with two silver medals following a second place in the 100 metres and a shocking fourth in the 200m, said she needs to be more patient in future.

"The double did not happen but I feel when you plan and want to do something it's best that you remain patient until it happens. I rushed things a bit here. Now I am going to take it step by step and just look forward to the next World Championships."

The 2004 Olympic 200m champion said she is able to run much faster than she is doing now.

"I have a lot of tactical issues that my coach and I are getting ready to work on as I am nowhere near my peak. I have a lot more to accomplish in this sport. I just need to correct some stuff and just get ready for the future."

According to Campbell, she has learnt a lot at this championships.

"In the 100m I have learnt that if you do not drive for the first 30 metres it is going to be hard for you to catch people who are in the same bracket as yourself or others who are running really fast. In the 200m here, I do not know what got into my head. I ran a terrific turn but coming off the bend somehow I ended up in lane eight. That's something I will try not to let happen again."

No hard feelings

Despite the disappointment of the 100m silver and a fourth place finish in her pet event, the 200m Campbell showed no hard feelings and lauded her two American rivals, 100m winner Lauryn Williams and 200m champion Allyson Felix.

"Felix is a great competitor. I always enjoy competing with her. Lauryn (Williams) is becoming another rival and it's going to be fun competing with them as they are both nice ladies."

Campbell said the rivalry is as it should be, good, clean competition.

"There is no malice or anything like that we just have fun and compete."

She, however, said that despite losing to Felix on the last two occasions they have met she had no fear of meeting the American.

"Those things happen. It does not affect me psychologically at all. I know those two races that I lost I made a lot of mistakes. They were not perfect. As long as I can get everything together I will be okay.

Campbell who ran a season best 10.95 in the 100m finals and 22.38 for fourth in the 200m is likely to compete next at the Sheffield Grand Prix in England next Sunday. She is also expected to compete at the World Athletics finals on September 9-10 in Monte Carlo.