Members of Jamaica's women's 4X100m relay team (from left) Kerron Stewart, Sherone Simpson and Veronica Campbell-Brown shortly after they failed to finish the final after a baton foul-up at the Beijing Olympics at the Bird's Nest Stadium in China yesterday. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

BEIJING, China - The members of Jamaica's female sprint relay team - Veronica Campbell-Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart - who failed to win the favoured gold last night in 4X100m relay has taken the disappointment in stride.

Stewart, who took individual silver and bronze medals in the 100m and 200m respectively, failed to collect the baton from 100m silver medallist Simpson at the second exchange which meant the defending champions did not finish the race. Based on the video replays, it seemed as if the national 100m champion had moved just a little too early before Simpson had hit her marker.

The incident meant that Campbell-Brown and Fraser, the respective champions of the 200m and 100m, failed to finish with two gold medals at this, Jamaica's most successful Olympics in 16 tries.

Jamaica's team was the odds on favourite to retain their title from Athens 2004 after easily clocking the fastest time of 42.24secs on Thursday and in the context that long-time rivals USA failed to make the final having dropped the baton in the heats.

Instead of quarrelling and pointing blame at each other, the quartet of ladies took the result in stride.
"It's a part of life, stuff like this happens. We can't curse because we had a great Olympics and we're happy anyway," said Fraser, who had given the team a great start.

"Honestly, I cannot say what happened, except that the change was not made between Kerron and I. I'm just not sure what happened," said the disappointed Simpson, who did a great job four year ago on that same leg as Jamaica took gold. "We really wanted to go out and win both 4x100m relays, but it's all a part of the (Olympic) Games and we just have to move on," the Manchester High alumnus added.

Stewart expressed similar sentiments saying "I did what I was supposed to do, Sherone did what she was supposed to, but I guess it just wasn't God's will".

"I want it (a third medal), but I'm not going to say I'm disappointed because God have been good to us at this Olympics so there is no need for me to be disappointed," Stewart added, noting that they just have to move on.
Campbell-Brown, who was attempting to win her third consecutive Olympic medal in the 4x100m relays after silver in the 2000 Sydney Games and gold in Athens 2004.

"Maybe it was Russia's destiny to get the gold medal here tonight," the five-time Olympic medallist added. "It's just unfortunate that whatever happened did, but we are not going to sit here and question it because all the people on the team already got medals here (in Beijing), so we have to be thankful to God for what we have achieved because this is our greatest Olympics ever," Campbell-Brown noted.

Russia captured the gold in 42.31 seconds, ahead of Belgium 42.54 and Nigeria 43.04.

Prior to the Beijing Games, Campbell-Brown had won silver in the 4x100 in Sydney; gold and bronze respectively in the 200m and 100m and gold in the 4x100m relay in Athens.

Jamaica is currently lying second in the medal standings with 10 - six gold, three silver and one bronze. They follow Russia with 15 - six gold, four silver and five bronze heading into today's nine and penultimate day of track and field competition. The United States occupies third spot in the medals standings with five gold, nine silver and seven bronze.

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