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 conference 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."