Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica wins the women's 200 metres final ahead of Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix of the USA (© Getty Images)
Daegu, Korea - The normally composed figure of Veronica Campbell-Brown briefly lost it on the track here at the close of the 200 metres final, finding tears in her eyes as she knelt on the track appearing to pray.
It looked as if the 29-year-old double Olympic champion, who took gold in a season’s best of 22.22, was giving thanks for finally winning a World title at the longer sprint to go with her two silvers from the previous two World Championships.
Her victor on both those occasions, Allyson Felix of the United States, who also won in 2005 for good measure, had to settle for bronze here in 22.42, just behind her team-mate Carmelita Jeter, the 100m champion, who crossed in 22.37.
Soon, however, Campbell-Brown’s tears had given way to smiles as she draped the obligatory Jamaican flag over her shoulders and set off on a lap of honour that has been a long time coming.
Running in lane five, Campbell-Brown had made up the ground on the runner outside her, Jamaica’s Sherone Simpson, after 50 metres, and she led into the straight.
But as Jeter closed the gap 70 metres from the line it seemed briefly as if we might be about to witness a 100-200 double. Campbell-Brown, however, would not be passed, reducing Jeter to an irregular stride as her efforts to pass remained futile. The Jamaican wanted this with everything she had.
The strain was showing on Jeter’s face as she crossed the line, and she was beginning to lose her rhythm. The longer-striding Felix was closing on her fast, but not fast enough to pass her before the line.
Shalonda Solomon, who leads this year’s World listings with the time of 22.15 she ran in Eugene, completed an American 2-3-4 – not quite what they were looking for – as she finished in 22.61.
Jamaica’s other runners, joint Olympic 100m silver medallists Kerron Stewart and Simpson, finished fifth and eighth in respectively, 22.70 and 23.17.
A side note – both Felix and Jeter featured on the front cover of the official programme. It really does seem to be jinxed…
Bahamas’s 35-year-old Debbie Ferguson McKenzie, who won this title at the Edmonton World Championships of 2001, had made her way into the final as one of the fastest losers, having run 22.85 in her semi-final.
She could afford to feel highly satisfied with her performance as she took sixth place in a time of 22.96.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF