Humble in defeat - Campbell gracefully accepts silver

IT'S THREE MEDALS in two days for Jamaica at the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

Last night Jamaica's sprint queen,Veronica Campbell, bagged silver in the women's 100m final to add to the gold and silver medals won by triple jumper Trecia Smith and sprinter Michael Frater on Sunday.

Campbell ran her heart out in pouring rain but unlike the quarter-finals, could not peg back American dynamo Lauryn Williams in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Williams, the Olympic silver medallist in the event last year, took the prestigious gold medal in 10.93 seconds with Campbell earning the runner-up spot in a season-best 10.95. Frenchwoman Christine Arron, the pre-race favourite, was third in 10.98.

Quite satisfied

Campbell said she was quite satisfied with the way she performed.

"The game plan was to stay focused and do what I have got to do. I am not going to say what I should have done or what I did not do. I am just going to move on and look forward to the next race," she said.

Sherone Simpson placed fifth in 11.09. In a very close finish for the minor placings, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh were all awarded the same time.

Never short of words the dimunitive American gold medallist said the rain was not a problem.

"The rain made no difference to me. I was so focused, I did not feel it. There was a hurricane out there tonight but that is just my kind of weather."

Earlier last night, Korene Hinds ran a national record 9:33.30 to place fourth in the women's 3000m steeplechase, an event which is making its debut at this championships. Former national record holder Mardrea Hyman fell during the event and ended up in eighth spot. The gold medal went to Ugandan Docus Inzikuro in a championship record 9:18.24. Russia's Yekaterina Volkova was second in 9:20.49 and bronze went to Kenya's Jeruto Kiptum in 9:26.95.

Personal best

Hinds was very satisfied with her performance.

"I am very happy. I ran the national record and personal best, that's awesome," Hinds, a former St, Jago High athlete, said.

Jamaica failed to gain a finalist in the women's 400m at the championships for the first time in 12 years. National champion Shericka Williams and 2003 silver medallist Lorraine Fenton were both eliminated in the semi-finals.

Williams had not been eating well since arriving here early last week.

"The food here gave me an upset stomach," she said. "Everything I eat I am just bringing it back up."

Williams, who ran at 9 p.m. here last night, went into semi-final one with an empty stomach.

Fenton is still bothered by the injury which kept her out of last year's Olympics.

"I think I did okay overall here," the two-time World Championships 400m silver medallist said. "I trained fairly well but the injury is still preventing me from doing speed work."

Williams, 52.44, was sixth in semi-final one, won in 50.05 by Jamaica-born American Sanya Richards. Fenton placed fifth in semi-final two in 51.48 bewteen Russian winner Svetlana Pospelova, 50.34.

The fastest going into the final is Bahamian Olympic champion Tonique Williams-Darling who took the third and final semi-final in a season-best 49.69.