DAEGU, South Korea, (Reuters) – Jamaica’s Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown held off the challenge of American Carmelita Jeter down the home straight with a storming finish to win the women’s world 200 metres title for the first time today.
Campbell-Brown exploded out of the blocks and held a healthy lead at the bend before Jeter, who beat the Jamaican to 100 metres gold earlier in the championships, caming steaming through the field.
The American looked set to overhaul her rival with 70 metres to go but the twice world championship silver medallist found an extra gear and held her off to win gold in 22.22 seconds.
“My objective was to run the curve as fast as I can and then maintain,” the 29-year-old said after running her season’s best time.
“I knew I had a strong curve. I didn’t want to go home with two silvers so I was motivated for the gold. Thank God that I finally got the gold medal here.”
Jeter took silver in 22.37 seconds ahead of compatriot Allyson Felix, the three-times defending champion, who added a bronze to the silver she won in the 400 earlier in the championships in a time of 22.42 seconds.
“I was trying to close but my legs gave up,” said Jeter. “It happens, this is my first time doubling at the world championships so I am excited to see what I can do in London 2012 (Olympics). I thought I was going to pull it out but my legs got behind me.”
Felix, who was running in the 200 and 400 in Daegu for the first time at a major championships, said running the one-lap race had also taken a lot out of her.
“I’m disappointed and tired but I definitely wouldn’t have changed anything about the doubling up,” said Felix.
“I thought I ran with a lot of heart tonight because that was all that I had left.”
Organisers had hedged their bets by putting a picture of both Jeter and Felix on the front of the day’s programme but the “Cover curse”, where the featured athletes fail to win their events, struck for the sixth time in seven days.