Posted: August 26, 2004

Athletics: 'New Generation' Excels In Women's 200

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

(c) 2004 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

ATHENS - (26-Aug) -- Continuing the “new generation” theme of these Olympic Games, 22-year-old Veronica Campbell dashed to a dominating win over 18-year-old Allyson Felix in the 200 meters.

“I knew it would be a great race, and I knew Allyson would have a great finish, so what I did was I executed that curve,” said Campbell, whose 22.05 was a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year. On Sunday, the Jamaican won the bronze in the 100, clocking 10.97. “And at the end of the curve I didn’t feel Alyson coming, so I knew I had the race already won.”

“I think it was a great race,” Felix said. “Veronica executed the curve very well. When I was coming down the straight, it was just a lot of heart and giving it everything I had.”

Felix, the youngest member of the U.S. team, clocked 22.18 to finally and officially claim the World junior record. The previous record was 22.19, set by Natalya Bochina of the Soviet Union at the 1980 Olympics where she too raced to a silver medal. Last year, Felix ran 22.11 in Mexico City, but because meet organizers did not arrange in advance for drug testing at the meet, the performance could not be officially ratified by the IAAF.

Bahamian Debbie Ferguson, the veteran of the field at 28, finished third in 22.30 to finally capture an individual Olympic medal.

“I’m assuming I’m one of the oldest young ladies out there running because there’s a new breed out there,” said Ferguson, who anchored the Bahamian ‘Golden Girls’ to a gold medal in the 400 meter relay in 2000. “All the young ladies here, I’m very proud.” On Sunday, Ferguson was seventh in the shorter sprint. Four years ago, Ferguson was a double sprint finalist as well, taking eighth in the 100 and fifth in the 200. “To get a bronze medal here, it meant a whole lot to me.”

24-year-old Jamaican Aleen Bailey was fourth in 22.42, ahead of 20-year-old Bulgarian Ivet Lalova’s 22.57. American Muna Lee, seventh in 22.87, is just 22.

Despite the pre-race hype and attendant pressure, Felix expressed no disappointments.

“I had a great Olympic experience and I’m really pleased with it. I think I took a lot away from it and I feel like this is just a starting point for me.” And, she added, the 2008 Games in Beijing are the furthest thing from her mind.

“Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy this,” she said, wearing a wide smile. “This was a great season, and I just want to kind of enjoy this moment for a second.”

With the opening round of the 400 meter relay scheduled for today, Campbell and Ferguson too have more immediate concerns.

“All the ladies are very motivated,” Campbell said. “Three of our ladies made the 100 meter finals, an Aleen and I made the 200 meter finals. And everybody’s eyes are bright now. As long as we run a perfect relay, and in that I mean get the baton around the track as smoothly and quickly as possible, I don’t see why we should lose.”

Ferguson didn’t make that bold of a prediction, but does expect her squad to be a force to be reckoned with.

“I think that by watching Tonique [Williams-Darling] yesterday,” referring to 400 meter champion, “that helped motivate me and the entire team. We’re just going to go out there and have fun. No pressure. We have nothing to lose. We are defending champions with nothing to lose. We just want to go out there and run and have some fun.”