Veronica Campbell of Jamaica (right) crosses the finish line to win the women's 100 metres dash in 10.99 seconds ahead of Lisa Barber of the U.S. (left), who finished second in 11.06 seconds, at the Adidas Track Classic in Carson, California yesterday. - REUTERS
CARSON, California (AP):
WALLACE SPEARMON defeated Jeremy Wariner in the 200 metres
and Veronica Campbell of Jamaica won the women's 100 - both with the fastest
times in the world this year - at the Adidas Track Classic yesterday.
Campbell won in a time of 10.99 seconds. She defeated Lisa Barber, who finished in 11.06. Torri Edwards, the 2003 world champion, was third, while Campbell's Jamaican team-mate, Aleen Bailey, was fifth in 11.27.
"I'm quite satisfied," said Campbell, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist. "I wanted to get a quicker start. The thing was to be patient and execute no matter what start I got."
Barber was running the 100 outdoors for the first time this season after a successful indoor campaign, including the world 60-metre title.
"I was trying to work on my mechanics so I wouldn't hurt my hamstring," she said.
Wariner, the Olympic and world 400 champion, is stepping down to race more 200s this year with a goal of trying both distances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He ran a personal best of 20.19 seconds in his fourth 200 of the season, but couldn't catch Spearmon, who finished in 20.06.
Jamaican Omar Brown, the Commonwealth Games champion, finished third in 20.33 seconds.
"Everything fell into place," said Spearmon, the world silver medallist last year. "I was hoping to run a little bit faster, but I didn't know if the wind would be allowable."
It was, despite overcast, cool and windy conditions in front of 3,629 spectators at Home Depot Center.
Wariner tried the 200 only a couple times last year.
"I feel like I can get down to 20-flat, maybe 19, this year. I feel real comfortable and real smooth," he said. "I knew Wallace would push me to a fast time and I'd push him, so I'm real impressed with the way I ran."
Marcus Brunson won the men's 100 from lane nine against a strong field in a personal-best 10.01. Tyson Gay was second in 10.04 and Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago third.
Jamaica's Dwight Thomas ended fifth in 10.11 seconds.
"This is a great warm-up for nationals," said Brunson, who was second to Olympic champion and co-world record-holder Justin Gatlin two weeks ago in Osaka, Japan.
GONZALES SECOND
Without Wariner in the 400, Andrew Rock defeated the pair of Jamaicans to win in 44.83. Jermaine Gonzales (45.00) was second and Michael Blackwood (45.22) third.
"I was happy with my time, considering the wind," said Rock, last year's world silver medallist.
