Ver's blitz strikes gold

Campbell-Brown adds World Indoor 60m title to distinguished medal haul

DOHA, Qatar (CMC):

The Caribbean's most decorated sprinter, Veronica Campbell-Brown, impressively added an indoor global title to her long list of outdoor successes when she captured the women's 60-metre gold medal as the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships ended yesterday.

Campbell-Brown, 27, ran a career-best 7.00 seconds to win the marquee sprint event ahead of the US Virgin Islands' LaVerne Jones-Ferrette (7.03) during the last session of the three-day meet at the Aspire Dome.

"I knew the race would be very competitive. I was very confident and mentally focused," Campbell-Brown said after her win.

"I came here with a mindset that I would come out and execute," added Campbell-Brown, whose time was the fastest at a World Indoor final for 11 years.

Her triumph completed a second gold medal for the Caribbean at the meet following Bahamian Chris Brown's 400-metre gold on Saturday.

Jamaica copped another medal yesterday when their women's 1600-metre relay squad picked up the bronze medal.

Appearing at her first-ever World Indoor Championships, Campbell-Brown ran a superb race to thump the world-leader Jones-Ferrette, who was just a shade behind in second, while securing an unprecedented global medal for her country.

American Carmelita Jeter was a close-up third in 7.05 seconds.

Jamaican Sheri-Ann Brooks clocked a personal-best 7.14 for joint fourth with Gabon's Ruddy Zang Milama, while Bahamian veteran Chandra Sturrup (7.16) was sixth, and the British Virgin Islands' Tahesia Harrigan posted a personal-best 7.17 for seventh place.

The silver medal for Jones-Ferrette could be termed a disappointment for the big sprinter, who is the world's fastest in the event this year.

Her blistering 6.97 victory in Stuttgart earlier this year is the fastest by any woman since 1999, but she played down her disappointment and embraced winning the first-ever medal for the USVI at a major meet.

"I just wanted a medal. When I leaned up through the finish line, that was my only thinking, a medal - and it happened, so I'm happy", she said.

"It's the first ever for my country," added Jones-Ferrette.

Jamaica secured a bronze medal in the women's 1600-metre relay when Bobby-Gaye Wilkins, Clora Williams, Davita Prendegast and Novlene Williams-Mills clocked three minutes, 28.49 seconds for third behind winners USA and silver medallists Russia.

The USA, with Jamaica-born 400-metre champion Debbie Dunn, Deedee Trotter, Natasha Hastings and Allyson Felix moving the baton around, clocked a 2010 world-best 3:27.34 to win narrowly ahead Russia (3:27.44).

Jamaica and The Bahamas failed to add to the English-speaking Caribbean's four-medal haul when injury aborted their efforts and they failed to finish the men's 1600-metre relay.

The USA won unchallenged in a world-leading 3:03.40 ahead of Belgium (3:06.94) and Britain (3:07.52).

Andretti Bain pulled up with a hamstring injury for The Bahamas and Jamaica's bid was thwarted when Sanjay Ayre went down with an injury as well.

In one of the most highly anticipated events on the programme, Cuban Dayron Robles toppled a quality field to win the men's 60-metre hurdles in a championship record and world-leading 7.34 seconds, not far off Colin Jackson's world record of 7.30.

"I wanted to break the world record here," said Robles.

"Many people at home were expecting this gold. I did it herewith the world's best hurdlers so I am very happy," he added.

The young Cuban delivered a powerful finish and squeezed home ahead of two-time champion American Terrence Trammell (7.36), who had a great start. David Oliver (7.44) was third, giving the USA two medals in the event.

"I knew the race would be decided in the photo finish as Trammell is very fast and has a great start," Robles added.

Jamaican Maurice Wignall was sixth in a personal season-best 7.60 just ahead of China's former sprint world-record holder Liu Xiang, who clocked 7.65 for seventh.

The USA easily topped the medals with a haul of 17, eight gold, three silver and six bronze, to lead Ethiopia with three gold, and two bronze and Russia (2-4-3) with nine medals.

Cuba (1-3-1) led the Caribbean in sixth place, while Jamaica (1-0-1) shared eighth with Brazil and The Bahamas (1-0-0) finished 10th.

The USVI (0-1-0) placed 19th and Antigua and Barbuda (0-0-1) were 27th on the medal grid with Daniel Bailey's historic 60-metre bronze on Saturday.