A smiling Veronica Campbell shows off her medals and a bouquet at the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston yesterday. - Michael Sloley DESPITE being the first female junior to win the sprint double at the World Junior Championships, 18-year-old Veronica Campbell said she did not achieve all her goals in Chile when she returned to the island yesterday.
Campbell completed the historic double on Saturday by winning the women's 200 metres final in a championships and national junior record of 22.87 seconds. She had earlier won the 100m in a championships and national record of 11.12.
"Everything was okay and I am very happy for that because my aim was to break my personal best in both the 100 and the 200m and I did that," Campbell said.
"However, I did not get the times I hoped for. My goal was to run 22.7 in the 200m and 11.0 in the 100m," said Campbell shortly after arriving at the Norman Manley International Airport with the rest of the Jamaican World Junior team.
Campbell said the climate was the factor in not achieving her goals but she was happy she got the double.
"It was a little bit cold but it was okay," said Campbell who won a silver medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney as part of the women's sprint relay team.
According to the team manager and member of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association, Ian Forbes, several athletes are to receive scholarships to attend universities overseas.
He said the athletes were sprint hurdler Toni-Ann Doyley, long jumper Paul Thompson, Pete Coley and Aldwyn Sappleton.
Forbes said the JAAA was in "the process of confirming the schools, but it is not finalised".
In regards to the overall performance of the team, Forbes said: "Superb performance. I think in one or two events we missed out on possible gold medals: the women's 4x100m relay and 4x400m. I think there could have been an improved performance there but by no means were they disgraced. They performed excellently."
Jamaica ended the six-day championships with eight medals including three gold, four silver and one bronze.
