Veronica Campbell-Brown back with fresh title in sights
Cleared to race after struggling through doping drama, Jamaican speedster is raring to go
Jamaican sprinting legend Veronica Campbell-Brown will make her first track appearance in 10 months at the World Indoor Championships starting on Friday, just weeks after being cleared of doping.
The two-time Olympic 200 metres champion has not competed since testing positive for a banned diuretic last May, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled last month that it had upheld the Jamaican's appeal.
"I lost out on the opportunity to compete for most of 2013 and the chance to defend my world [outdoor] 200m title. However, I press on," said the 31-year-old, who has won seven Olympic medals and is aiming for a third consecutive world indoor sprint title after victories in both 2010 and 2012.
In the Polish Baltic seaside town of Sopot, Campbell-Brown is partnered with teammate and indoor rookie Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the women's 60m.
I lost out on the opportunity to compete for most of 2013 ... However, I press on
Fraser-Pryce enjoyed a stellar 2013 season in winning the 100 and 200m at the Moscow worlds and collecting a third gold as part of the Jamaican 4x100m quartet.
"I sometimes go 'How do I top this off?' But it's the same thing, the same amount of focus and determination, and being committed to what it is that I want to do this year," said Fraser-Pryce, who was named as the IAAF's World Athlete of the Year for 2013, along with compatriot and fellow sprinter Usain Bolt.