Veronica Tells Her Side!!!

[Historian]

One of the invaluable lessons that I’ve learnt from my life’s experiences is the importance of hearing the other side of the story before reaching a conclusion. Here, and I’m happy to post it, is Veronica’s side of the story!! - Historian

VC: I'd never walk out on my country

BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, August 23, 2009

BERLIN, Germany - Two-time Olympic 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown has defended her decision not to run on Jamaica's winning 4x100 relay at these World Championships, hinting that the management staff was unprofessional.



Campbell-Brown, who watched the race from the stands, told the Sunday Observer that she decided against running because the coaching staff only notified her of their decision for her to run the first or third leg, one-and-a-half hours before the race, even though they had her practising to anchor the team, during the mandatory pre-championship camp in Nuremberg.

"I would never walk out on my country because I always represent with pride," Campbell-Brown told the Sunday Observer.
The heats of the women's 4x100 went ahead at 6:10 in the evening with the team of Simone Facey, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Aleen Bailey and Kerron Stewart clocking 42.06 seconds to win and book Jamaica's spot in the final.

"I am disappointed because right now, everything I do, I do it for my country. Every championship I go to I try to make sure I hear the national anthem play. I never go out there and just try to run. I love the sport, I know my country loves the sport and I always want to give it my best. That's all I strive for," reasoned the visibly upset Campbell-Brown.


CAMPBELL-BROWN... I haven't run any leg besides anchor or back-stretch since high school or Sydney

"For me to come here (Germany) and go to the camp and follow all the rules and did everything that was asked of me... I should have gone to Greece to my therapist to get treatment on my (injured) toe and I decided to go the camp because it was mandatory.

"I went there and I did my job and then I came here an hour-and-a-half to know that the leg I practised for is not available," she continued.
"How can I go out there and run a leg I never practised for and jeopardise the team of not getting a medal?" Campbell-Brown questioned. "If I go out there, screwed up, I would be at fault," she added.

Up to late last night, there was no word from the coaching staff as to why Campbell-Brown did not run.

Quizzed as to whether she would have run another leg other than the one she practised for at the pre-championship camp, had she been briefed earlier by the management staff, the two-time world 200m silver medallist replied: "If I had practised for the leg, it would be no problem because I would be comfortable.

"But I haven't run any leg besides the anchor leg or the back-stretch since high school or Sydney 2000 when I handed the baton to Beverly (McDonald)."

She explained that she had problems running the curve in the 200m final because of her injured toe.


"As they realise I have been wearing Kinesio-tape on my toe because I have a toe injury that has been bugging me for several months now and that would jeopardise my curve as it did in the 200m last night (Friday)."

[Peter R]

Seeit deh!

"Walking out" on the team never seemed her style; and like a true champion she NEVER used her toe (that I have read) as an excuse for not placing better in the 200M... big up VCB! well done; your fans and country appreciate ALL you have achieved!

[Don1]

Seeit deh!

"Walking out" on the team never seemed her style; and like a true champion she NEVER used her toe (that I have read) as an excuse for not placing better in the 200M... big up VCB! well done; your fans and country appreciate ALL you have achieved!

Yes mi did kno inna mi heart sey a lie dem did ah tell bass.

VCB fi eva!! Di bes ting since slice bred.

[Sickko]

Why Ver did not run - 'I am loyal to my country'

Published: Sunday | August 23, 2009



Veronica Campbell-Brown
Gordon Williams, Gleaner Writer
BERLIN, Germany:
A hugely disappointed Veronica Campbell-Brown believes "unprofessional" conduct by Jamaica's team management deprived her a chance of winning a gold medal as part of the country's successful 4x100 metres relay team yesterday at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics (WCA) here.
Campbell-Brown said she withdrew from the relay team after she was given a choice to run either the first or third legs an hour and a half before the final.
She said she had practised to run only the anchor leg during the Jamaica's mandatory training camp in Nuremberg, Germany, before the WCA, which was designed to iron out the kinks of the relay team.
The switch, she said, took her off-guard and she was not prepared to make the adjustment without risking Jamaica's chances at gold.
But the situation started to brew uncomfortably earlier in the day, according to Campbell-Brown.
While attending a meeting of the team and coaches sometime around noon, the first meeting she said she was "aware of" regarding the relay in Berlin, Campbell-Brown said she was told by the team's technical leader, Donald Quarrie, he wanted to speak with her.
She said Quarrie, who has final word on team selection, told her to speak with coach Michael Clarke. It was at that time, she said, she was given the option between the two legs.
Start or third leg is available
"He said start or third leg is available," Campbell-Brown explained. "Those were the only available legs. Those were the words of Mr Clarke."
However, Campbell-Brown declined the choices, saying that she had only run the anchor leg in practice and was not prepared to run any other.
"I didn't do any relay training outside of the training camp," Campbell-Brown said.
Furthermore, she said a long-standing injury to her big toe, which the coaches were fully aware of since she had foregone getting treatment in Greece in order to "follow the rules" and be at the mandatory camp, prevented her from running an effective curve.
Running the curve is required on the first and third legs.
"Those were concerns," Campbell-Brown said.
Campbell-Brown said she was informed of the decision after Jamaica's first-round heat in the relay, which was run approximately 6:10 p.m. local time (11:10 a.m. Jamaican time) yesterday.
The final was set for nearly two hours later.
When it became clear that she would not be offered any other leg, meaning the straightaway backstretch second leg or anchor, Campbell-Brown said she decided to withdraw from the team.
That decision set off a huge controversy here, since the 2007 WCA 100 metres champion, who finished fourth in the event here and second in the 200 metres, was expected to run the final after being rested in the first round.
But Campbell-Brown said the management's decision left her with little choice.
"For me to get an hour-and-a-half notice was not enough time for me to divert from what I was training in," she said. "I would have been asked to go on the track to make magic happen.
"I think it could have been handled better," she added. "I told Mr Quarrie it would have been in the best interest of the country not to run.
"It was very unprofessional to come to me on the day of the relay" to make the change after she had practised something else, Campbell-Brown added.
Campbell-Brown said she was not sure if the relay team had practised after the mandatory training camp, as she was busy preparing for the 100 and 200 metres.
In the final, as in the first round, Simone Facey started the relay. She handed off to Shelly-Ann Fraser, the WCA 100 metres champion, who did not attend the camp.
Fraser passed to Aleen Bailey on the third leg. Kerron Stewart, who was second in the 100m, anchored Jamaica's gold medal run in 42.06 seconds ahead of The Bahamas (42.29) and Germany (42.87).
Campbell-Brown said the order for the relay, which was set at the camp, was for Bailey to hand off to her for the final leg.
"I did anchor training receiving from Aleen," she said.
On Monday, after she had won the 100 metres final, Fraser was asked if the women's 4x100 metres team had been training in Berlin. She did not answer.
Shortly after the final, Bailey was asked about Campbell-Brown's absence.
She said: "I haven't gotten anything on that yet. So hopefully later we'll know."
But Bailey admitted she was surprised Campbell-Brown was not on the team. Asked when she knew her training partner would not run the relay, she responded: "I think when we were coming out (to warm up)."
Following yesterday's victory, the winning team also declined to address Campbell-Brown's decision.
No comment
"We can't comment on that question," Fraser said when asked at a post-race press [COLOR=orange !important][COLOR=orange !important]conference[/COLOR][/COLOR] why Campbell-Brown did not run. "I think the best person to comment on that is Veronica herself or the management staff of the team."
Efforts to discuss the issue with Quarrie last night were unsuccessful.
Team media liaison Cathy Rattray, when contacted around 12:15 p.m. local time (5:15 p.m. Jamaica) by the media, said team management members were unavailable and would discuss the issue today.
Campbell-Brown, meanwhile, commended Jamaica's winning effort, but added that the relay disruption possibly prevented a better performance, with or without her in the team.
"A good team was sent," Campbell-Brown said. "But with more unity, we could have run close to the world record (of 41.37 held set by East Germany in 1985)."
She also said the latest incident will not dampen her enthusiasm to represent her country.
"I don't see that this will affect me running for Jamaica again," Campbell-Brown said. "I have always enjoyed competing for Jamaica. Running for Jamaica is not a problem. I am loyal to my country."

[Sickko]

...but I am sure you do understand that the truth is mere annoyance when there are agendas to persue, right?

[Mosiah]

Sickko, here are my problems with the entire thing:

1. VCB has not shown the best attitude since being kicked from the top of Jamaica's sprinting pedestal. Those days are now officially over. Get used to it, VCB!

2. If VCB had a problem with her toe, it must have happened after the 200m final because she ran the best curve of all the athletes. This after 2 other rounds! So, this idea that she would be unable to run the 1st or 3rd legs...hmmm.

3. There is also talk about Shelly Ann being unable to run the curves because of her appendix surgery. Well, was that surgery done after the national trials? Shelly Ann ran a very good 200m at the national trials and no one heard about any problems. If there are indeed problems, shouldn't this have been communicated to "the authorities" long before this?

4. If Kerron stated that she must run the anchor, then that too would be foolishness. Team members can't dictate what they do in such a set up. Seems like a logical choice, but not the best interest of TEAM.

5. It appears that there wasn't much practice, if any, between the girls at any time. If that's the case, what's this story about VCB not training to run anything else but anchor?!? Receiving a baton and passing it on successfully, is hardly rocket surgery!

6. Equally silly is this talk from Kerron that she is left-handed and she believes that might have contributed to the mess up in Beijing, where she would have to take the baton in her right-hand. Imagine the JAAA having to add one more question to the athletes' profile questionnaire - Which hand is more dexterous? - and then picking a relay team based on that!

Unnu can stay deh. I won't believe the first, second or third thing that comes out of these athletes' mouths, or their agents. Especially when it just doesn't add up!

[Peter R]

Mo , you make some valid points...

[Islandman]

Very good points, I was going to make some of them myself this morning but you have done a much better job.

It seems to me that whatever the final team was, there was going to be someone who was ****************ed off. The final decision was probably made too late (don't know all the details to say for sure). but sometimes we need to stop jumping at the first opportunity to bash the coaches and wait till we hear ALL (4 or 5 ) sides.

So Exile, maybe there IS a role for a national coach in the setup, and
"work out something for the relays" might not be such a good plan?


As usual there is probably no totally "right" or "wrong" side. And imagine after all of that we still managed to somehow win the gold, thanks to great depth and some luck.

[Mosiah]

I should also point out that this last minute change, 1.5 hours before the final, for VCB to run one of those two legs, was ridiculous. However, given the other points, the fussiness of the athletes and the coaches, it is quite likely that the JAAA was forced into this corner.

But, let's just blame them. They are all career bureaucrats who don't know the first thing about T&F. Donald Quarrie? Is who dat?!?

[Gamma]

ESPECIALLY di agents!

[Mosiah]

Yuhseeit!

yuh bobomlacta!

[Historian]

Interesting Points

I should also point out that this last minute change, 1.5 hours before the final, for VCB to run one of those two legs, was ridiculous. However, given the other points, the fussiness of the athletes and the coaches, it is quite likely that the JAAA was forced into this corner.

But, let's just blame them. They are all career bureaucrats who don't know the first thing about T&F. Donald Quarrie? Is who dat?!?

You have actually made some very interesting points in both posts above that I didn’t think of, Mosiah! Very interesting, food-for-thought points indeed.

[Mosiah]

Oops! That was not suppose to appear!

[Gamma]

oh well!!!

[Karl]

Sickko, here are my problems with the entire thing:

1. VCB has not shown the best attitude since being kicked from the top of Jamaica's sprinting pedestal. Those days are now officially over. Get used to it, VCB!

2. If VCB had a problem with her toe, it must have happened after the 200m final because she ran the best curve of all the athletes. This after 2 other rounds! So, this idea that she would be unable to run the 1st or 3rd legs...hmmm.

3. There is also talk about Shelly Ann being unable to run the curves because of her appendix surgery. Well, was that surgery done after the national trials? Shelly Ann ran a very good 200m at the national trials and no one heard about any problems. If there are indeed problems, shouldn't this have been communicated to "the authorities" long before this?

4. If Kerron stated that she must run the anchor, then that too would be foolishness. Team members can't dictate what they do in such a set up. Seems like a logical choice, but not the best interest of TEAM.

5. It appears that there wasn't much practice, if any, between the girls at any time. If that's the case, what's this story about VCB not training to run anything else but anchor?!? Receiving a baton and passing it on successfully, is hardly rocket surgery!

6. Equally silly is this talk from Kerron that she is left-handed and she believes that might have contributed to the mess up in Beijing, where she would have to take the baton in her right-hand. Imagine the JAAA having to add one more question to the athletes' profile questionnaire - Which hand is more dexterous? - and then picking a relay team based on that!

Unnu can stay deh. I won't believe the first, second or third thing that comes out of these athletes' mouths, or their agents. Especially when it just doesn't add up!

Good chat...but I would love to see a defense by you of #1?
Thanks!

...just to add I have only seen to the opposite in her behaviour to that cloaimed in your #1.