Veronica Campbell ... out for rest of track and field season. - file
KINGSTON (CMC):
JAMAICA'S DOUBLE Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2006 outdoor track and field season because of injury.
Campbell, who won the Olympic 200-metre crown and helped Jamaica to gold in the sprint relay in Athens two years ago, has not recovered fully from the quadriceps injury she suffered on June 11 at a meeting in Gateshead, England.
Claude Bryan, Campbell's manager, said the decision was taken after medical consultation, although initial ultrasound scans had given eight weeks to fully recover.
Bryan said it was mutually agreed, given the importance of the next three years that Campbell, who tore her quad in a 200m race against American Sanya Richards, would just sit out this season.
"It is the same quad injury," he revealed. "We just decided that in the interest of the athlete's career to call it a day."
Bryan refused to comment when asked if Campbell's injury was not responding well to treatment. He also declined to comment on whether she had returned to training.
Campbell, the Commonwealth Games 200m silver medallist in March, will now miss the World Cup, set for September 14-15 in Athens, Greece.
Her absence will now clear the way for fellow Jamaican Sherone Simpson and Cayman Islands' Cydonie Mothersill, as both look set to represent the Americas team in the 100 and 200 respectively against Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, the United States, Russia, Poland and Greece.
The World Cup offers prize money of US$30,000 for the winner, $15,000 and $10,000 for second and third place finishers respectively.
In the current IAAF world rankings, Campbell leads the 100m event with 1,368 points, but trails American world champion Allyson Felix (1,366) with 1,320 points in the 200m.
