Flo-Jo records remove glamour from female sprints - Veronica »

Veronica Campbell-Brown

BEIJING, China (CMC):

Reigning Olympic 200-metre champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown, believes female sprinters will continue to play second fiddle to the men until someone gets close to or breaks Florence Griffith-Joyner's world records.

Before a capacity crowd the Bird's Nest Stadium last week, the Jamaican ran her heart out to clock a personal best of 21.74 seconds and defend her Olympic half-lap title, but was still a long way off the 20-year-old world record.

Her fellow countryman Usain Bolt was the highlight of the Olympics, blazing the track to set new world records in the 100 metres and 200 metres events.

"It's a touchy subject, but if I should be honest, I really believe men get more attention in this sport," Campbell told the broadcast media here. "It's based on the fact that the world record in the 100m and 200m for men is reachable.

"For me, my PRs (personal record) are 10.85 and 21.74, which I just accomplished here and I only ran that once. It is hard for me to even think about the world record."

Most out-of-reach marks

Griffith-Joyner's records are considered two of the most out-of-reach marks in track and field to date.

Michael Johnson's previous 200 metres world record of 19.32 seconds was also once seen as impossible also, until Bolt lowered it by .02 second in a headwind.

Campbell-Brown, however, said she believed Flo-Jo's records were beyond her.

"It is beyond my reach. The world record is 21.34 and the 100m record is 10.49. How many females have even run 10.6 in the past 20 years since Flo-Jo set that record?" Campbell-Brown contended.

"It's disappointing to not get the respect that the males do because they are capable of breaking the record and people are excited to see them run because they know the possibility of breaking the record is close. I don't have that luxury and a lot of my competitors don't have that luxury right now."

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