A week before her 28th birthday and starting her 100-metre season a week earlier than last year, Veronica Campbell Brown opened up at the Osaka Grand Prix in Japan yesterday to win the shorter outdoor sprint in 11.02 seconds, the third fastest time this year.

“I didn’t get the start I wanted,” said Campbell Brown, who is stacked with World Championships and Olympic medals.

“I didn’t execute the way I wanted, but I’m happy to get the win. It’s always good to come back to Osaka,” added Campbell Brown, who won the 100m at the World Championships there in 2007.

Her medal tally from the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games alone stands at 14.

Japan’s Chisato Fukushima placed second in 11.27 seconds and Australian Melissa Breen took third in 11.47.

American Carmelita Jeter holds the world-leading time so far this season with 10.94 clocked at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston on May 1, ahead of Kerron Stewart, who ran 10.96.

Michael Frater, in his second 100 metres this season, also won at Osaka with a time of 10.24 seconds, beating American Travis Padgett, 10.34, and last year’s winner homeboy Naoki Tsukahara, 10.36.

Ireland’s Joanne Cuddihy clinched the women’s 400 metres, timing 52.15 seconds, just ahead of Jamaica’s Clora Williams, 52.93, and China’s Jingwen Chen, 53.69.