Posted: May 11, 2005

Athletics: Campbell 'Satisfied' With World-Leading 200M Debut

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

© 2005 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

Overshadowed by compatriot Asafa Powell’s blazing 9.84 100 meter victory at the Jamaica International last Saturday, Jamaica’s Olympic 200 meter champion Veronica Campbell nonetheless claimed a bit of the limelight as well with her world-leading* 22.53 victory.

"I’m satisfied," Campbell said after extending her unbeaten streak in the event to 26. "It’s a good way to start the season." Her win streak, currently the longest in athletics, began on April 1, 2000, also in Kingston.

Besides adding to her undefeated tally, notable too is the manner in which the 22-year-old has been winning thus far this year. In races where victory is more often than not determined by the narrowest of margins, the triple Olympic medallist seems to be setting a daunting precedent in 2005.

In Kingston, Campbell finished nearly half a second ahead of Olympic finalist Muna Lee. In her first race of the outdoor season last month, Campbell won the 100 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays with a wind-aided 10.98 performance, winning by a whopping 3/10s of a second. Even during her abbreviated indoor season last winter, Campbell left her opponents in the proverbial dust. In her only indoor 60 meter race, she clocked a world-pacing 7.09, winning by a full 1/10 of a second, again over Lee. In her lone indoor appearance in the 200, Campbell clocked a world-leading 22.38, winning by nearly a second-and-a-half. Ostensibly a solo effort, it was the fastest indoor long dash since 1996**, with Campbell becoming the fifth fastest-ever indoors. Last year, only eight women, including Campbell, ran faster outdoors.

While a confidence booster, Campbell knows that as the season progresses, races will inevitably become closer, and the competition more fierce. That’s why she’s not paying much attention to margins of victory or her unbeaten streak.

"A win is always a good thing despite the margin," she said. "All wins can help to boost the confidence."

Despite emerging from the Olympic year as the world’s top sprint threat, Campbell refuses to consider herself "the chased."

"I do not consider myself as having a target on my back. If I did this then I would be putting undue pressure on myself. I consider myself as needing to improve my performances."

That "improvement" includes working on her start, her primary self-professed weakness.

"My start was good [in Kingston], but I really have to bring it to the 100." She’ll put that to the test in her next outing, the Adidas Track Classic in Carson Calif. on May 22 where she’ll contest the 100 meters.

Before then, she has one more final exam to take care of at the University of Arkansas where she’s pursuing a degree in marketing management before tackling the season full steam. "I’m not taking any summer classes," she said, seemingly welcoming the break to focus fully on her march towards Helsinki.

Campbell said she’s still undecided on whether she’ll pursue a sprint double at the world championships, a decision that likely will have to wait until after the Jamaican national championships in June.

* 22.52 by Latasha Colander in Clemson SC (16-Apr) - questionable wind reading
** 22.31 and 22.18 performances by Michelle Collins from 2003 were nullified last December.

Copyright © Bob Ramsak and Track Profile. All rights reserved TrackProfile.com

© 1996 - 2005 RunnersWeb.com - All rights reserved.