JAPAN: ATHLETICS - Jeremy Wariner and Veronica Campbell give reactions after their respective 400 gold and 200 metre silver medal performances at World Athletics Championships in Osaka

Record ID: 334863

  • Title: JAPAN: ATHLETICS - Jeremy Wariner and Veronica Campbell give reactions after their respective 400 gold and 200 metre silver medal performances at World Athletics Championships in Osaka
  • Date: 1st September 2007
  • Summary: WOMENS'S 200 METRES SILVER MEDALLIST AND 100 METRES GOLD MEDALLIST VERONICA CAMPBELL PUTTING ON HER MEDALS VARIOUS OF CAMPBELL SHOWING PHOTOGRAPHERS HER MEDALS
  • Embargoed: 16th September 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAATQ1IZFKAL5VM96TYQV4LO73S
  • Story Text: Jeremy Wariner is considering attempting a 400 and 200-metre double for the Beijing Olympics.
    American Jeremy Wariner, who clocked the fifth-fastest time in history when he retained his world 400 metres title on Friday, says that if he sticks to his own race, he cannot be beaten.
    "You know, everyone is always saying that LaShawn and Angelo are my rivals, but honestly, I really don't have any rivals, my only rival is myself," he told Reuters in Osaka on Saturday (September 1). "As long as I am running my race, I won't be beaten. If I don't run my race, that is when I am going to get beaten."
    The 23-year-old Texan, starting from lane six, powered off the final bend to clock 43.45 seconds, despite a swirling wind in Osaka.
    LaShawn Merritt took silver in a personal best 43.96 with Angelo Taylor, a former Olympic champion at 400 hurdles, clocking 44.32 to make the U.S. the first country to sweep the podium in the event.
    Only Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds have run faster than Wariner, Johnson setting the world record of 43.18 at the 1999 world championships in Seville, but Wariner says he is not in a rush to break the world record.
    "I have been running like this all my career, I ran like this in Stockholm, so it is really nothing new," he said. "The main goal for me was to just go in and defend my title and hopefully a PR (personal record).
    In the back of my mind I wanted the world record, but I have got a long career ahead of me, so I am not going to force that right now."
    Sporting his trademark sunglasses, Wariner burst from the blocks and was soon out in front, underlining his superiority by racing clear in the final 100m, his huge diamond ear-studs and chunky gold necklace glittering under the floodlights.
    Wariner said he is going to concentrate on the 400 metres, but would like to try the double with the 200 metres too, and said he would try for the Beijing Olympic team at the US trials next year.
    "We are going to concentrate on the 400 metres first and once that is over with and my body feels right, I am going to go for the 200 and try and make the team for the Olympics in the 200, but like I said I have got a long career ahead of me, so I caould do it now, I can do it later on in my career, so I am not really trying to force it at this moment," he said.
    Wariner can still look forward to a possible second gold in Osaka in the 400-metre relay, the final of which takes place on Sunday (September 2) bringing down the curtain on the world championships.
    "You know as long as we keep, as long as our quarter milers and our hurdlers are running the way they are right now, it is going to be pretty tough to beat us," he said. "I mean we have the top three right now in the world in the 400 metres, you can throw anybody on that relay and they are going to run a 43 split, just about. So as long as we put the right four together and we all run our perfect races, like we usually do, then it is going to be pretty tough to beat us."
    World 100m and Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell looked to be in with a chance of a sprint double in the women's 200 metres, leading at the bend but American Allyson Felix stormed past her and the Jamaican took silver in a season's best 22.34.
    "It was a really good race, very competitive, very fast, I realise I have a few things to work on, especially over the last part of my race, a few endurance issues," Campbell said on Saturday, "but I think after running four rounds of the 100 metres, to come back, that was my eighth race of the meet and I think I did exceptionally well for all that I have been through, so I just need to go back to Jamaica and have some stuff to work and look forward to next year.
    "I wouldn't say it is a disappointment, I am not disappointed with my position, however I am a bit disappointed with my time, because in '04 I ran 22.05, which is my PR (personal record) and I don't think I have run as close to it since, so I am a bit disappointed in the time that I run, not with the position, because I think I did my best, but I wish I had run faster."
    The 0.53 seconds between Felix and Campbell was the biggest margin of victory in the event at a world championships.
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