COUNTDOWN TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - Campbell-Brown will be

[Karl]

COUNTDOWN TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - Campbell-Brown will be too good in 100m

Raymond Graham, Freelance Writer

( L - R ) Veronica Campbell-Brown, Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson, Simone Facey - file photos


STAR SPORTS continues its countdown to the June 27-28 National Championships with a look at the women's 100 metres.


Fireworks are expected when eight young women line up for the women's 100 metres at next week's National Champion-ships as some of the world's fastest females will be on show.

With a top-six finish to guarantee a space on the squad to Beijing, a fierce battle is expected as those who are successful will get a chance to defend Jamaica's 4x100 metres title at the Games.

Four of the likely finalists - Veronica Campbell-Brown, Simone Facey, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart - are ranked in the top eight in the world and they are also in the sub-11 seconds class this year.

Favourite
Undoubtedly, Campbell-Brown will start favourite as she is the number-one ranked female in the world with her 10.88 set last weekend in Orlando. She also has the second-fastest time when she stopped the clock at 10.91 in New York at the Reebok meet on May 31.

She has won every major 100 metres title from junior level up to a senior, except the Olympic 100 metres. The National Champion-ships will launch her bid for what is expected to be gold in Beijing. She is bang in form at present and despite the credentials of the others in this field, she is hard to oppose and should win her third national title following wins in 2005 and 2007.

Simpson is on the comeback trail this year following her inactivity in 2007. The fastest woman in 2006, she cannot be taken lightly and she showed that she is nearing top form when she came second at the Nike Prefontaine meet in a season- best 10.99. She has the potential to upstage Campbell-Brown and if she gets away quickly out of the blocks she could be hard to peg back.

After a bad start at the Nike Prefontaine meet, Kerron Stewart, who was credited with the same time of 10.99 with Simpson, was just edged out by her for silver. The top collegiate sprinter in 2007, Stewart is now in the big league and she has started with a bang this year.

When she posted her personal best of 10.96 seconds in Arizona in March, she was then the world leader and she showed consistency at the Prefontaine meet by dipping under 11 seconds again. Runner-up to Campbell at the National Championships last year, she will be hoping to go one place better and cop her first National 100 metres title.

The next three positions will be very difficult to chose as the likes of Simone Facey, Shelly-Ann Frazer, Sherri-Ann Brooks, Nickeisha Anderson, Schillonie Calvert, Aleen Bailey, Yanique Booth, Nadine Palmer and Petagaye Dowdie will be fighting it out for those spots. This is going to be a cracker and it could come down to those who can hold their nerves best.

Prime form

Facey, a member of Jamaica's silver-medal winning 4x100 metres team in Osaka last year, is in prime form following her second-place finish at the NCAA Championships last weekend. She is the other Jamaican to gone under 11 seconds this season when she recorded 10.95 in Colorado at high altitude. Facey will want to prove that she has the pedigree to repeat this time and could give the top three something to think about.

After her gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, Brooks should have her sights set on another major title. She can get the chance for glory in Beijing by finishing in the top three here. With a season best of 11.14, she has not looked as sharp as she should based on her last few races. She will have to make a big turnaround if she hopes to make it in the top six as there are some young stars who are coming to upstage the more senior athletes.

Bailey has been having a difficult time in the last two years. She did not make the 100m final last year she will not want to suffer the same fate this year. The vibes lady on the successful sprint relay team four years ago in Athens will be seeking to be a member of the relay squad at least. She has shown some improvement after a slow start this season and with her experience, she could force herself into the top six.

Improved tremendously

Of the others, Frazer, the Penn Relays college 100m champion, has improved tremendously. Now under the guidance of Stephen Francis, she ran the preliminary round of the 4x100m in Osaka last year and this will surely motivate her. She has a season best of 11.28 registered in Belem in May and is expected to go much faster at the championships.

With a season best of 11.27, local-based Calvert should do well while former Queen's High athlete Booth could be the surprise of the field. At the Miami Classics last weekend, she looked very impressive in running 11.20.

This event could develop into two races. Campbell-Brown, Stewart and Simpson are expected to be well in front with fourth to eighth being extremely close. Another prime-time event, Campbell-Brown should win with Stewart getting the better of Simpson but only just for the second spot.

TOP SIX:
1. Veronica Campbell-Brown 2. Kerron Stewart 3. Sherone Simpson 4. Simone Facey 5. Sherri-Ann Brooks 6. Shelly-Ann Frazer.