Campbell faces crucial decision

13 April 2012

Olympic 200m silver medallist Darren Campbell must make a major decision this morning.  

Campbell limped off the Alexander Stadium track in Birmingham last night after winning his 100metres heat in the Norwich Union World trials and AAA Championships.

Campbell appeared in agony despite winning in 10.44seconds, and his hopes of continuing do not look good.

But Campbell was adamant he will sleep on the problem before making up his mind.

The reigning European champion said: "It is a nerve rather than the hamstring that is causing the problem.

"Every time I put pressure on it I feel massive pain. When I start running fast it really hurts. It worries me that the hamstring will go again.

"I'll play it by ear and see what it's like after a night's rest. If I do run obviously I'll give it my best."

While Campbell ponders whether to risk all or hope the selectors will offer him the chance to prove his fitness before the team is finalised on July 23, Dwain Chambers and Mark Lewis-Francis cruised through their qualifying rounds.

Chambers the fastest man in Europe this year won in a time of 10.36sec, while Lewis-Francis took his heat in 10.20sec, the quickest time of the night.

Iwan Thomas is determined to atone for his disappointing start to the season by regaining the AAA 400m title he last won in 1998.

Standing in his way however is defending champion Mark Richardson.

Both easily moved in today's semi-finals. Thomas won his heat in 46.91sec - the fastest of the qualifiers - and Richardson cruised round in 47.46sec.

The seeding sees the pair get an early chance to lock jaws. They have been drawn in the same semi-final.

Thomas said: "I deliberately didn't blast off and probably I went to slow. I will be a lot more nervous tomorrow when the real work will begin. But things seem to be coming together for me at the right time."

Kelly Holmes will chase a sixth AAA 800m title after coasting to victory in her heat in 2:05.23.

The Olympic bronze medallist is battling back to fitness after glandular fever and chronic fatigue syndrome kept her out of action until a brilliant victory in Madrid a week ago and she will also check on her fitness this morning.

Holmes said: "Everything seems okay, but then a heat is a heat. It's cold out here and qualification was the only thing that mattered.

"I feel okay and now I just have to see how I am tomorrow. It all depends on how I recover from this outing. I had chronic fatigue syndrome and I'm about two weeks after the rehabilitation phase. So far everything is okay."

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