The arguments for and against will rage on until the medals are handed out on Sunday.

But one thing is now sure: Veronica Campbell will not run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. The three athletes who will represent Jamaica are Kerron Stewart, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sherone Simpson - the first, second and third-placed finishers, respectively, at the National Championships in June.

"There have been no changes to the team," team manager Ludlow Watts told JamaicaWin.com yesterday in response to the query about Campbell's possible participation in the 100 metres.

"Unless something unusual happens to one of the other ladies between now and tomorrow (today), that change will not be made."

Head of delegation Don Anderson made it clear that the track and field officials will make the final selection at a meeting today, but pointed out that at no stage was it ever mooted. "As far as I know, it did not even come up for discussion," said Anderson.

Campbell, world champion over the distance, was a surprised fourth-placed finisher at Jamaica's National Championships in June, running 10.88 seconds in one of the most competitive races in history. Stewart ran 10.80, Fraser 10.85 and Simpson 10.87 to take the three top spots.

But there have been calls by a large sector of fans for Campbell-Brown, who usually produces at 'big' meets, to replace one of the top three. The JAAA rules states that the top three will be selected for the event, and the fourth-placed finisher selected as the alternative. It further states that the runners would have to maintain competitive form.

This gave a ray of hope to those who harboured dreams of a Campbell-Brown victory on Sunday, as they believed that she, the alternative, would have been entered instead of one of the trio who beat her at the trials. However, all three have run sub-11 seconds in the last two weeks, giving the selectors no opportunity to make changes.

Campbell will therefore defend her individual 200 metres title, as well as form part of Jamaica's outstanding 400 metres relay team, which won gold four years ago in Athens. She also won a bronze medal in the 100 metres at those Games.

- Earl Bailey of JamaicaWin.com

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