Brave Campbell show

AFTER suffering a viral tummy bug and spending much of the week in isolation from the other members of the Irish team, David Campbell, last night ran the second fastest time of his career at the world championships in Osaka.

The 25-year-old Maynooth man finished seventh in his heat of the 800m in 1:46.47. While it was not good enough to get him through to the semi-finals, it was just outside the personal best of 1:46.05 in Lignano in July and underscored the courage that is a hallmark of his character.

He was hospitalised and put on a drip to replace fluids lost after he was taken ill at the training track at the weekend and Dr Bill Cuddihy administered another litre at 1am yesterday morning when his participation was still in doubt.

Dr Cuddihy, in consultation with the team manager, Patsy McGonagle, only made a final decision yesterday morning when he was satisfied that the athlete was not in any medical danger.

Had he not contracted the virus he would surely have qualified from last night’s heats and was disappointed with the result.

“I am pretty annoyed and I am pretty devastated at not being able to turn it on when it most mattered on the world stage,” he said.

“I had the ability to get out of the first round there. Mentally I am tough. The night before I ran my pb in Italy I tried to pull my tooth out with a pliers with a toothache. So I am not afraid to hurt.

“I got myself into a good position, felt all right but then when I needed that bit of pep down the home straight it was not there. I’m watching the race happen before me and I can’t do anything about it.

“I came out here to run fast – not sit on the toilet all week.

“Last Sunday I went hospital and Bill told me I could be off the cards. Even last night he was in my room at 1.30 in the morning saying that I might be better off giving it a miss. It was only this morning Patsy and Bill let me run and that’s how close it was.”

He now wants some races to put the finishing touches to his season. “I have some more races now. I just want to get back and start tearing up the track,” he said. My plan is a career in athletics and making a living at it and then, hopefully, getting strong enough to do what Sonia did or do what Marcus or Eamonn or any of the rest of them did. That is the dream and I’ll keep plugging away.”

Meanwhile Tyson Gay became the third man in history to complete a World Championship sprint double after winning the 200 metres in Osaka. Gay, who won the 100m on Sunday, romped to victory in 19.76 seconds to join Maurice Greene and Justin Gatlin in claiming gold in both events.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt finished second in 19.91secs and Gay’s training partner Wallace Spearmon took bronze in 20.05secs.

In the long jump, Irving Saladino, with the final jump of the competition, produced a huge personal best of 8.57m to win Panama’s first championships medal while Australia’s Jana Rawlinson claimed her second 400 metres hurdles title with a faultless display.