13 June 2024 , 16:00
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Darren Campbell is paying little heed to Britain’s medal haul at the European championships because their Olympics return is all that matters.
A strong GB outfit won four golds in Rome – behind only hosts Italy – and they expected more. But the head sprint and relay coach says a golden era for the shorter distances has arrived and the trials at the end of this month will prove it.
Campbell believes four men could go sub-10secs in the 100m if the Manchester weather is kind and he promises: “It’s going to be electric.”
Zharnel Hughes and Jeremiah Azu both withdrew from the Europeans owing to injuries and Campbell says “fingers crossed they’ll be okay…I’ve not had any updates that worry me.” Yet not even national record holder Hughes, who tweaked a hamstring racing in Jamaica 12 days ago, can be entirely certain of his spot.
“I think it’s better than my era if I’m totally honest,” Campbell says of the depth. “There could be six or seven guys, so many are capable. Even if you look at people like CJ [Ujah], he’s gone sub-10.
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“I never ran sub-10, people forget that sometimes. My best was 10.04. But you’ve got four guys with the qualifying time for Paris already and we’re only at the European champs stage of the season. I think this will be one of the most competitive and exciting British Olympic trials ever.
“Iron sharpens iron. That’s what the sport needs. You’ve got to have competition at home if you want to be successful in the world. And that’s what we’ve got.”
He describes the scheduling of the Europeans less than two months out from the big dance as “funny” because “there should only be one focus.” And that is why the past six days of action needs to be evaluated as part of the bigger picture.
Dina Asher-Smith’s last-gasp 100m gold was an obvious highlight and Daryll Neita needed to be “picked up” after being beaten by 0.01sec in the 200m – before both were part of a winning 4x100m on Wednesday night.
But it is futile to read too much into the men’s 4x100m team finishing last in their heat – a performance described by Richard Kilty as “horrendous” – because no one knows the quartet that will be selected in August.
“Under normal circumstances we’d have focused on the Europeans but I can’t take my eyes off the biggest prize,” Campbell adds. “It would be wrong of me to do that.
“The Olympics comes every four years and for some athletes it could be their last chance. But there’s a great opportunity out there for us. I’m focused on making sure I can put together the right jigsaw pieces at the Olympics.”
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Louie Hinchcliffe’s rapid rise has blown Darren Campbell away.
Last weekend the Sheffield student became the first European to win the prestigious American NCAA title in 9.95secs – when he might have instead been with the British team in Rome.
But Hinchcliffe, who is being coached by Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, will be at the Olympic trials in Manchester on June 28 and is a clear contender for a ticket to Paris.
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Campbell said: “It’s difficult to say what makes him so special because he’s kind of just appeared but I think the people involved in the futures at British Athletics have known about his talent.
“For Europeans he said if he doesn’t qualify for NCAAs he’d like to be considered. Obviously he then ran ten flat and qualified. That’s when we properly knew this guy is a special talent.
“You see his time and go, ‘OK, that’s an unbelievable time.’ Right, he’s qualified for the NCAAs but then he takes it to the next level. That’s real quality.”
Campbell has not spoken to Lewis but insists there will be “no problem” if he comes to Manchester and finds himself alongside old foe Linford Christie. “Them two will be great, I’m sure they will be cool,” he added. “But let’s not take the focus off the athletes we’re producing in Britain.”
Meanwhile, British distance runner Jess Warner-Judd has revealed she was sedated and taken to hospital after suffering a seizure late in Tuesday’s European Championship 10000m.
Warner-Judd said that following tests she has been provisionally diagnosed with a form of epilepsy.
In a social media post the 29-year-old added: “I don't remember much about the race apart from around 3k in my head felt incredibly tight but I stubbornly persevered. I'm not sure what my year will look like, but I'm eager not to let this stop me and be back running soon.”