WHY VCB’S REGRESSION COULD COST HER

Just a couple of weeks ago Veronica Campbell Brown won her second indoor world title, winning the 60-metre dash in a world-leading 7.01 seconds. It was her second fastest time ever, bettered only by her 7.00 run to win her first indoor title a couple years ago in Doha. It matters little that Carmelita Jeter was not in Istanbul, or that Laverne Jones-Frerette was disqualified in the semis, because VCB had already proven that she can beat them at this level, in this environment. Both women were favoured over VCB in Doha but that mattered little to the woman who is making a case for being considered perhaps the best female sprinter in history – not the fastest, just the best.

When Jamaica’s queen of the track arrives in Jamaica for the National Championships at the end of June, she does so knowing that only one global gold medal eludes her from having the full set. In addition to her gold medals at the World Youth and World Junior Championships; VCB is the two-time Olympic 200-metre champion, the 2007 World 100-metre champion, and the 2011 World 200-metre champion. She has also won a gold medal at the Olympics in the sprint relay from the 2004 Games in Athens. The one individual gold medal that she has yet to win at the senior level is that Olympic 100-metre title. That gold medal is perhaps the hardest won ever to win for the Jamaican champion and it has very little to do with her talent and a lot more to do with the flaws in her technique.

The basic principle of the short sprint is to get from one point to the next in the shortest possible time but as simple as that sounds it is not quite that easy. That is one of the reasons why the start is so very important. I wont bore you with the mechanics of it all suffice to say that the athlete who manages to be as linear as possible going forward is most likely to get an advantage at the start of the 100 metres. Unfortunately, that has not been the case with Veronica. She tends to emerge from the starting blocks going more sideways than forward, and it has cost her many times in the past. Had she been a better starter VCB may well have been a three-time 100 metre champion and going for her third Olympic 100-metre title but in all of those races she has had to come from behind and ran out of real estate. In those races the people who beat her, were either of equal speed or a speed close enough to hold her off long enough. This becomes clear when you consider than in 2007 when VCB won her world 100m title, the winning time was 11.01. In the other instances when she lost the times have been sub-11.

In Istanbul it was VCB’s incredible acceleration and top speed that won her the title, but she will need more than that in London this summer. Jeter, Frazer-Pryce, Simpson or Stewart and perhaps Myers from the USA and others will be in the hunt and from all indications so far, all these ladies are in great health so the likelihood of there being a stacked field is very high. After she lost in Berlin in 2009, VCB left Lance Baumann in Florida and employed the services of Anthony Carpenter who changed her body position in the blocks allowing her to leave the blocks faster and going forward more efficiently. The adjustment allowed her to improve her PR from 10.85 to 10.78. Her work with Carl Grant the following year which also saw her improve on her start got her down to 10.76 in 2011.

She faltered in her start at the world championships in Daegu in part to Usain Bolt’s false start and a lapse in what she had learned from Carpenter and Grant, it was only her sheer speed that allowed her to grab a silver medal at the death.

If she hopes to go one better this year in London and win herself a full set of global titles, VCB needs to go back to the past to help her secure her golden future. She has three months.

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16 Responses to “WHY VCB’S REGRESSION COULD COST HER”

J. Donovan Manhue says:

March 19, 2012 at 3:46 pm

The Author of this insightful article/sentiment should email this article to VCB’s Coach, pronto!!! Please
fm110 says:

March 19, 2012 at 5:51 pm

VCB seems to be doing all the right things to challenge for the 100m gold at the olympics. Her execution were excellent in the last two World Indoor Championship 60m finals where she won in 7.00s and 7.01s so if she can carry this execution through to the olympic 100m finals she will be in great position to challenge for gold with only SAFP to catch to the finish based on big race history. It should be a great event in London.
Neutral Justice says:

March 19, 2012 at 8:03 pm

VCB has been doing well, she need not to focus on any body changes. For those who says this article is correct need to know a lot more in speed events especially starting. 1st and foremost starting in linear position can book the athlete a quick sprint to the showers. Its called disqualification. The time to practice any changes now would be dunce. No athlete can seriously consider any changes now, with that ten ton pressure on your back to win. Do you know what it is to run for Jamaica? One word, Heavy!! really Heavy. You betta win, Just the looks at Norman Manley Airport is enough to make you run for your life. The dutty looks I saw was enough to make anyone cringe.
lulu says:

March 20, 2012 at 10:07 am

Neutral Justice, what dutty looks are you talking about. Why would someone, especially a Jamaican give any athlete dutty look.
TIA says:

March 21, 2012 at 12:42 pm

VCB IS ONE OF THE GREATEST FEMALE ATHLETIC SPRINTER . WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS SUPPORT. I AM NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH FM110,. YOU NEED TO STICK TO THE FACTS, INSTEAD OF YOUR OPINION
jnp40 says:

March 22, 2012 at 7:34 am

VCB needs to change NOTHING, she did not become the greatest female sprinter this side of the globe by changing she did it by being fast and consistent.
rallyb says:

March 22, 2012 at 2:19 pm

not agreeing entirely with you neutral Juctice,
VCB did again come from behind twice at the world indoors, she has been making the adjustmens over time with coach Anthony, yes she still has time to work on technique, her speed work is uptodate so right now is the perfect time to practice some more body alignment, its the same as if she were practicing her starts so no issue there.
Neutral Justice says:

March 22, 2012 at 8:41 pm

Lulu obviously you’re not from the urban side of town. Losers coming home that represented Jamaica in any top athletics events are given ‘the Look’ Jamaicans felt that they must win at all times, its a good to be competitive but not to that extreme.
gwill says:

March 25, 2012 at 8:26 am

Veronica Campbell Brown regression? Really? Are we watching the same track and field meets
2cute says:

May 3, 2012 at 7:33 pm

Once VCB is healthy no one will touch her in the 200m..but i think she is hungry for the gold in the 100m and she will be gunning for it…and as i said Jeter won’t behaving it easy this time around.. her Vitamin is running out
Dex says:

May 5, 2012 at 12:16 pm

I don’t really agree with the article whole heartedly. VCB would have won in Daegu, in my opinion, had she been closer to the pace setter, Jeter. Instead she was out on the fringes with no way of knowing where Jeter was until the end, while Jeter had Baptiste to push her. I don’t believe VCB needs to change anything,and it would be too late this close to London, anyway.
levyl says:

May 5, 2012 at 2:04 pm

Whether you can appreciate it or not VCB’s start has been her downfall and it was in Daegu. A better start would have given her a better chance. The lane has nothing to do with it. If I recall Allan Wells won the Olympic finals in 1980 from either lane seven or eight. Mechanics are critical to success in the short sprints. That is why she went to Anthony Carpenter in 2008. The start of a race between equally talented sprinters is what usually makes the difference; that is unless you’re Bolt. And last time I checked VCB aint no Bolt.
Look also at what made Shelly Ann Fraser World and Olympic champion, and then look at VCB’s start. You dont have to agree with me but that would only means that you are in denial. Tell you what, next time you see her, if you get a chance, ask her what she feels she needs to do to beat Jeter and Baptiste.
levyl says:

May 5, 2012 at 2:07 pm

By the way there is no pacesetter in the 100m. there is a start, a drive phase, transition to acceleration and speed maintenance (roughly speaking). A better start would have allowed VCB to get to her top speed a lot more quickly and then hold her speed as long as possible to be able to defeat Jeter whose technique is the best there is right now.
David ben David says:

May 14, 2012 at 11:32 am

The American women already own the Jamaicans, Gay will defeat Bolt in the 100m. It may go Gay, Dix,Gatlin…
aljhn says:

May 15, 2012 at 4:30 pm

Even if she does not get the 100 meters gold medal she has done very well for herself and her country, this will not tarnish her image she still shines brightly.
winsomenembhard says:

May 20, 2012 at 12:20 pm

I wish the Jamaican men and women all the best at the OG…… With Gods blessing, good luck.