- ReutersDebbie Ferguson of the Bahamas (centre) stands between Veronica Campbell of Jamaica (left) and Sevatheda Fynes of the Bahamas (right) after the Women's 100m Final in the 2002 Commonwealth Games at Manchester City Stadium yesterday. Ferguson won gold 10.91 seconds and silver and bronze went to Campbell and Fynes respectively.
Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
MANCHESTER, England:
NATIONAL 100 metres champion Veronica Campbell gave Jamaica its first medal at the XVII Commonwealth Games here yesterday.
Watched by Minister of Tourism and Sport Portia Simpson Miller, Campbell ran a personal best 11.00 seconds to mine silver behind Bahamian Debbie Ferguson who ran away from her rivals to get gold in a Commonwealth Games record 10.91. Another Bahamian, Sevatheda Fynes, ran her fastest time of the season to take the bronze in 11.07.
Campbell was happy with silver win but blamed rustiness and jet-lag for not getting a faster time.
"I did not feel as well as I did during the National Championships. I think the reason is that I came here too late. I still think it was a great race and that's my fastest time," Campbell said.
She landed in Manchester late Wednesday afternoon and competed in the first round of the 100m less than two days later.
Ferguson, an Olympic sprint relay gold medallist, celebrated for a long time wrapped in her national flag. She said the final time was unexpected.
"I was hoping to just go for the win but I came away with three things - I got the win, a Commonwealth Games record and a new personal best. I can't ask for anything more," Ferguson said.
Jamaica missed a second medal by three-hundredths of a second in the men's 100m. Dwight Thomas dead-heated with Nigeria's Deji Aliu for fourth in 10.15.
Canada's Pierre Browne ran a personal best for bronze in 10.12. In a win that shocked a capacity 38,000 partisan crowd inside the City of Manchester Stadium, St. Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins ran England's fancied pair of Mark Lewis-Francis and Dwain Chambers into the ground to win the gold medal in a national record 9.98. The gold medal is a first for St. Kitts at the 72-year-old Games.
Nigeria's Uchenna Emedolu also surprised by outleaning his rivals at the line for silver in 10.11. Lewis-Francis was taken off the track on a stretcher while Chambers hopped through the take and off the track in a flash.
Jamaica will be hunting more medals today.
Three women, Debbie Ann Parris, Deon Hemmings and Melaine Walker, will line up in the 400m hurdles final. Australia's Jana Pittman is the warm favourite following her 54.15 to beat Parris (55.23) and Walker (56.98) in the semi-finals. She should take gold but will be pushed all the way by Parris and Hemmings who could share the other two medals.
Veteran Sandie Richards has also promised to bring home gold in the women's 400m where she will line up along with Allison Beckford.
"If I lose I will beat myself," she said after placing a composed fourth in the first semi-final yesterday. National champion Michael Blackwood, despite a sub-par run in the men's semi-finals, is also looking to finish in the top three of the one-lap event.
"I got out a bit slow and had to work hard coming back but as I said before I am taking it one race at a time," Blackwood said.
