Campbell leads J'can hopefuls

Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

OLYMPIC 200-METRE champion Veronica Campbell will lead the hunt as Jamaica seek to add to their five-medal haul on day seven of the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki.

Campbell runs in the 200m final at 7:30 p.m. here (11.30 a.m. Ja time). Seventy-five minutes later, at 8:45 p.m. (12:45 p.m. Ja time), it's the turn of 110m hurdler Maurice Wignall before Brandon Simpson lines up in the men's 400m final at 9:35 p.m. (1:35 p.m. Ja time).

It should be three-the-hard-way for the women's 200m gold. A very subdued Campbell has been cruising through the rounds as she seeks to protect a hamstring muscle which has been giving her some problems.

Yesterday she trotted home third in 23.02 seconds in the second semi-final and will be forced to run hard from start to finish in today's final. Campbell has drawn a very bad lane seven with her main rival, American Allyson Felix, just behind in lane six and the fastest qualifier, Christine Arron of France, in lane five.

'BATTLE' FOR GOLD

Arron won yesterday's first semi-final in 22.45 while Felix, runner-up to Campbell in the Athens Olympics last year, took semi-final two in 22.90. While Campbell has kept her focus and has said very little, the always-smiling 20-year-old Felix has promised a 'battle' for the gold.

Wignall put a lacklustre opening heat firmly behind him and ran an impressive semi-final yesterday to reach his first World Championships 110m hurdles final. Wignall, an unlucky fourth in the Olympics last year, stormed into the final with the second fastest time, 13.24. The Jamaican was just edged out by American Allen Johnson. Johnson who won the heat in 13.23 is seeking his fifth World Championships gold medal in the event.

Jamaica's Chris Pinnock was sixth in semi-final two and did not advance. American Terrence Trammell won the heat in 13.31.

EYES ON MEDAL

Simpson is revelling in the cold here and is hoping to make his first World Championships final count. The Athens Olympics finalist has been making a big statement in the 400m at this championships and has his sights firmly on a medal.

"Oh man it would be the world if I could win a medal here," Simpson said after winning his semi-final on Wednesday night.

It will be tough for him to deny gold to Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner of the United States, a man who has shown already that he is capable of going below 44 seconds but he could upstage the second American, Darold Williamson, and take the silver.

Jamaica's 400m duo, Shevon Stoddart and Debbie-Ann Parris-Thymes did not advance from the semi-finals.

Stoddart clocked 56.49 for sixth in semi-final two while Parris-Thymes was fourth in semi-final three. Only the top two and two fastest times advanced to the final.

IN ACTION TODAY

Women

Javelin qualifying: Olivia McKoy

200m final: Veronica Campbell

4x100m semi-finals

Men

110m hurdles: Maurice Wignall

400m final: Brandon Simpson

Long jump qualifying: James Beckford

4x100m semi-finals.