Tweet
Fever pitch! - Olympic legend calls Champs atmosphere the stepping stone to greatness
Published: Thursday | April 2, 2009
Anthony Foster, Gleaner Writer
Bridgeport High School's Jazeel Murphy leads the field off the turn in the Class Two boys' 200m heats, on the opening day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships at the National Stadium yesterday. Murphy, the gold medal favourite, won in 21.47 seconds, the fastest time recorded over the half-lap event for the day. Also pictured is Kwesi Williams of Grange Hill High School
. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships, outside of bringing tremendous excitement to a full stadium of Jamaicans once a year, provides unforgettable moments for those the competition is all about - the athletes.
Champs began yesterday and action gets under way every morning at 8:15, continuing until 7:40 at night. The excitement of the event, though celebrations continue for much longer, comes to an end on Saturday night when the kings and queens of schoolboy and schoolgirl track and field will be crowned.
The championships have always been the stepping stone for those athletes who have gone down in our history as great. One such athlete, perhaps one of the greatest, has fond memories of the event.
Records
Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, a former star of Vere Technical High, last competed for her school in 2001, winning the sprint double in 11.13 seconds (100m) and 22.92 (200m).
The year before, Campbell-Brown ran 11.62 and 23.49 for the double, before going on to capture the double at the World Junior Championships in Santiago de Chile.
Interestingly, in 1999 she was beaten in the Class Two sprint double by another future Olympic champion - 400m hurdle gold
medallist Melaine Walker.
Champs is the event where stars are born.
"I must point out that I am particularly thankful for all my victories and experiences at the Boys and Girls' Championships. Every bit of my hard work has paid off," said Campbell-Brown.
Break-a-leg
In her International Association of Athletics Federations diary, the sprint sensation made sure to give all athletes a healthy dose of the good old 'break-a-leg'.
"I wish all participants at Champs the very best," she said.
"If you can compete at Champs you can compete anywhere."
Campbell-Brown was not able to make it to the annual track and field highlight but her distance from the island has not dampened how much it means to her.
"Although I am not living in Jamaica right now, my heart is still there," added the athlete, who has assisted regularly with the nutrition programme for the track team at Vere.
Second straight title
Campbell-Brown, who in Beijing last summer won her second straight Olympic 200m title, said, "Champs, as we call it, is very dear to all us Jamaican athletes as this was where we got our first taste of big-time track and field, where we ran rounds for the first time and were watched by thousands of very loud spectators."
Campbell-Brown's 11.13 still stands as the Class One girls' 100m record.
"There are so many memorable moments; the anticipation, the vigorous training sessions, the extreme competitions, the thrill of winning, the joy of celebrating my school's victories, also the cheers and energy of the thousands of supporters."
Though Campbell-Brown's Vere Technical team is not fancied to take the title this year, the athletics superstar remains hopeful.
anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com
Published: Thursday | April 2, 2009
Anthony Foster, Gleaner Writer
Bridgeport High School's Jazeel Murphy leads the field off the turn in the Class Two boys' 200m heats, on the opening day of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships at the National Stadium yesterday. Murphy, the gold medal favourite, won in 21.47 seconds, the fastest time recorded over the half-lap event for the day. Also pictured is Kwesi Williams of Grange Hill High School
. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Boys and Girls' Athletic Championships, outside of bringing tremendous excitement to a full stadium of Jamaicans once a year, provides unforgettable moments for those the competition is all about - the athletes.
Champs began yesterday and action gets under way every morning at 8:15, continuing until 7:40 at night. The excitement of the event, though celebrations continue for much longer, comes to an end on Saturday night when the kings and queens of schoolboy and schoolgirl track and field will be crowned.
The championships have always been the stepping stone for those athletes who have gone down in our history as great. One such athlete, perhaps one of the greatest, has fond memories of the event.
Records
Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, a former star of Vere Technical High, last competed for her school in 2001, winning the sprint double in 11.13 seconds (100m) and 22.92 (200m).
The year before, Campbell-Brown ran 11.62 and 23.49 for the double, before going on to capture the double at the World Junior Championships in Santiago de Chile.
Interestingly, in 1999 she was beaten in the Class Two sprint double by another future Olympic champion - 400m hurdle gold
medallist Melaine Walker.
Champs is the event where stars are born.
"I must point out that I am particularly thankful for all my victories and experiences at the Boys and Girls' Championships. Every bit of my hard work has paid off," said Campbell-Brown.
Break-a-leg
In her International Association of Athletics Federations diary, the sprint sensation made sure to give all athletes a healthy dose of the good old 'break-a-leg'.
"I wish all participants at Champs the very best," she said.
"If you can compete at Champs you can compete anywhere."
Campbell-Brown was not able to make it to the annual track and field highlight but her distance from the island has not dampened how much it means to her.
"Although I am not living in Jamaica right now, my heart is still there," added the athlete, who has assisted regularly with the nutrition programme for the track team at Vere.
Second straight title
Campbell-Brown, who in Beijing last summer won her second straight Olympic 200m title, said, "Champs, as we call it, is very dear to all us Jamaican athletes as this was where we got our first taste of big-time track and field, where we ran rounds for the first time and were watched by thousands of very loud spectators."
Campbell-Brown's 11.13 still stands as the Class One girls' 100m record.
"There are so many memorable moments; the anticipation, the vigorous training sessions, the extreme competitions, the thrill of winning, the joy of celebrating my school's victories, also the cheers and energy of the thousands of supporters."
Though Campbell-Brown's Vere Technical team is not fancied to take the title this year, the athletics superstar remains hopeful.
anthony.foster@gleanerjm.com
Comment