'Ver' feeling 'right at home' - Jamaica sprinter comfortable at new training base

ATLANTA, Georgia (CMC):

Reigning Olympic 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica has started training under her new coach Tony Carpenter, after completing her move to Georgia.

By her standards, the 27-year-old Campbell-Brown had a dismal year in which she was plagued by injury and failed to hold on to her World Championship gold medal in her pet event in Berlin.

"The month of October saw me parting ways with my long-time coach Lance Brauman," Campbell-Brown wrote in her online diary on the International Association of Athletics Federations' website.

"Coach Brauman has guided me since I left high school in Jamaica and I have had a very productive partnership with him."

She added: "As I indicated to him when I told him about my decision, his work is sincerely appreciated. (But) I felt there was a need for a change in direction, hence my switch in coaching.

"I am now based in the state of Georgia and my new coach is 'Tony' Carpenter. I am eagerly looking forward to the upcoming season."

Campbell-Brown disclosed that she's feeling right at home, since her training partners include her husband, Omar, the reigning Common-wealth Games 200m champion, as well as Olympic and World Championships 4x400m relay medallist Shereefa Lloyd and IAAF Youth and Junior 100m champion Dexter Lee.

Back in training

She noted: "In my previous entry, I had remarked that there is not really an 'off-season' in our sport anymore and how right am I?

"It is already November, less than three months since I last competed and I am already back in training. The last month has been almost whirlwind-like, as I have done so much in so little time."

Campbell-Brown also related her pleasure at receiving the designation of UNESCO Ambassador for Sport and her trip to Paris to receive the designation.

"My husband, Omar, my manager, Claude Bryan, and his wife, Juanita, and the Jamaican Minister of Sport, Ms Olivia Grange accompanied me," she said.

"We stayed in a hotel just beside the Eiffel Tower and I had a room with a great view - giving me a direct sight of the marvellous structure."

She continued: "The ceremony itself was wonderful and it reminded me of how privileged I am to be conferred the honour as I am now in the company of sporting legends such as Brazilian footballer Pele, German Formula One race driver Michael Schumacher and Belgian tennis star Justine Henin.

"My role will be to promote gender equity in sports and it is an area that I feel strongly about as I think our sport and sports in general can do a lot to foster this."

Campbell-Brown was also pleased to be inducted into the University of Arkansas Hall of Fame.