Gold medallist Veronica Campbell is congratulated by silver medallist Lauryn Williams (© Getty Images)
Having won an historic first global 100m gold medal for Jamaica last night – cheering the hearts of her compatriots after Asafa Powell’s defeat in the men’s final – Veronica Campbell now sets her sights on completing the double. But she would make no predictions. “I am just going to take it round by round, stay focused, and anything can happen in the final,” she said.
Apart from praising the contribution of her coach, Lance Brauman, Campbell was also grateful for the role played by Merlene Ottey. At the 1993 World Championships, in Stuttgart, Ottey (then Jamaican but now competing for Slovenia) had lost the closest 100m final imaginable, beaten by one-thousandth of a second by Gail Devers (US). As Ottey did then, Campbell last night had to suffer a long wait until the result was known.
After it had been confirmed that the 25-year-old from the same Jamaican parish as Ben Johnson and Usain Bolt had reversed the 2005 World Championships top two places, beating defending champion Lauryn Williams (US), both timing 11.01sec, Campbell thanked Ottey. “Merlene Ottey is a wonderful person, she has always been my hero,” Campbell said. “We communicate on a regular basis. She has always given me good encouragement.
“A couple of weeks ago she e-mailed me to tell me that I am doing good and that, by the end of the year, my cup will overflow. She is somebody I really admire, a very great athlete.” Of Brauman, who was in prison for fraud offences while his athletes won gold, Campbell said: “I have not had that much chance to talk with Coach Brauman since I got here because my phone does not work and that is the number he has to contact me.”
However, Campbell shares her coach with Tyson Gay, the men’s 100m champion, and she added: “He (Brauman) did talk to Tyson and he gave me a message to give me today – he knows that I have been training very hard, that I should just go there and execute my race, and I will be victorious.”
Campbell’s manager, Claude Bryan, explained how his athlete had risen from a talented youngster to become World 100m and Olympic 200m champion, and explained that Omar Brown, her fiancé and Commonwealth Games 200m champion, had been guiding her while Brauman was serving his sentence.
“She has been mentored over the years by Neville Myton, a former junior world record holder at 800m. Obviously he has done a pretty good job. Lance gives her workouts and Omar Brown is here (in Osaka) acting in a coaching capacity. He obviously knows her more than from a coaching perspective – from a personal perspective - and he has done a heck of a job getting her focused and keeping her nerves calm.
Campbell grew up in Trelawny, a parish in Jamaica which has produced many great Jamaican track and field athletes – Merlene Frazer, Ben Johnson, Michael Green, Usain Bolt. “So I would think, pound for pound, that Trelawny is considered the best parish in Jamaica (for producing athletes),” Bryan said.
“Population-wise it is one of the less inhabited parishes of the country due to the fact that it is mountainous terrain. It is a little less developed than other places, which may lend itself to athletes doing so well there because there is a lot of walking that takes place over the rugged terrain.
“But I think it is a combination of things – the opportunities that track and field affords an individual to get an education, get an opportunity to go overseas. I also think the tradition – we have had many Olympic champions over the years - George Rhoden and Arthur Wint at 400m, Deon Hemmings at 400m hurdles, Don Quarrie and Veronica at 200m.”
Campbell has four sisters and five brothers. Of the family, Bryan said: “There is a little brother – David - on the way up who we may need to keep an eye on. He is about 13 years old and he is attending the same high school – Vere Technical - which has produced Merlene Ottey, Merlene Frazer, Bev McDonald, Veronica Campbell, Simone Facey to name a few.
“Like any other kid in Jamaica you play games, climb trees, and she was adept at it to the point that she was beating the boys at whatever games they played. Eventually that lent itself to her competing in athletics. She was very successful in the primary school championships and secured a scholarship to Vere. From there she was World Youth 100m champions and World Junior 100m champion, so now the circle is compete with the World senior 100m title.
“From Vere Technical she went to Barton County (Kansas) College which was where she met her existing coach. Then she transitioned to the University of Arkansas from where she graduated last year.”
David Powell for the IAAF
