Jamaica's Campbell wins women's 200 meters

August 21, 2008

BEIJING (AP) -- It was Jamaica Night again at the Bird's Nest, and this time Veronica Campbell-Brown did the honors.

The defending Olympic champion capped a Jamaican sweep of the four men's and women's Olympic sprint races Thursday night, routing Allyson Felix of the United States to the finish line in 21.74 seconds to win by 0.19 second.

Reggae music filled the stadium -- is the CD worn out yet? -- as Campbell-Brown celebrated with her country's flag, much the way Usain Bolt did with his world record-setting wins in the 100 and 200 and the way the Jamaican women did when they swept the 100.

Fittingly, a few moments later, Bolt accepted the gold medal he won the night before in a ceremony that was postponed a day because of protests over the second- and third-place finishers.

Jamaicans, however, are leaving no doubt about who's first in these races.

Campbell-Brown's blowout -- a two-body-length victory -- made her the first woman to win back-to-back 200s since 1980. No man has ever repeated in the 200.

Felix won her second Olympic silver in this, a carbon copy of their 1-2 finish at the Athens Games. Jamaica's Kerron Stewart finished third, adding to the silver medal she won when she tied Sherone Simpson in Jamaica's sweep of the 100.

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