THE spirits of the families and friends of the athletes who won medals in the 200m and 4x400m on yesterday’s seventh day of the 13th IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea were lifted along with the rest of the Jamaican publics yesterday.

Veronica Campbell Brown’s mother Pamela Bailey was elated that her daughter was finally able to capture that elusive World Championships 200m gold medal.

“We just rejoice and knock our hands on the table. When I knock the table it come in (it was like) like my hand would break,” Bailey, who watched the race from her home in Angels, St Catherine surrounded by her daughter, two sons, and grandson, told the Observer.

“I’m feeling joyful. I thank God for her that God bring her through because without God she could not come through,” Bailey added.

Bailey noted that she had spoken to her daughter for a short while via telephone after her victory, but there was a bad connection and that she hoped to speak to her again later.

“My daughter call me since morning. She called and I speak to her but not for long. She asked if we watching the race and I said yes we watching the race and we rejoice.”

While Bailey said she had received a few calls from well-wishing friends and co-workers, she said she didn’t hear much celebration happening in the quiet community in which she lives.

“We don’t have a community where people rejoice. I don’t even see one person push out them head, (but) I’ve been getting calls from my co-workers and people who live around.”

Meanwhile, Esther Gonzales was in the kitchen at her home in Kitson Town, St Catherine and only caught bits and pieces of the race and later had to watch the replay as her son Jermaine got the baton from Allodin Fothergill in fifth and pushed the country into a sizeable first place lead in the men’s 4x400m final. Jamaica eventually earned the bronze medal, but Esther Gonzales was all happiness.

“He did exceptionally well,” mother Gonzales told the Observer. “I feel good he put out an effort.”

She added that she was pleased with the overall team performance as well. Incidentally, Fothergill and Gonzales are cousins and both hail from the Kitson Town community: “I’m very proud of them,” Gonzales said.

The medal in the mile relay may have in some way made up for Gonzales having missed out on a medal in the 400m event in which he finished fourth.

“I spoke to him after,” she said. “He was very disappointed because he expected to win a medal. I said congrats. I know you tried hard and we still love you and we support you 100 per cent the same.”

Jermaine’s father, Fitzroy, was also at home watching the race with other members of the family.

“Im feeling great,” he gushed. “All the hard work and never get a medal so to finally get a medal. I knew that when he (Jermaine) called and complained about the food thing I knew he wouldn’t be 100 (per cent) but this morning father God blessed we. I can’t even explain the way I feel. My face bright from morning.”

Danny Hawthorne, who coached third leg runner Riker Hylton throughout his high school career at St Jago was also impressed with the way the athlete, who lived with him for a short period during his high school life, helped keep Jamaica in the lead after collecting the baton from Gonzales.

“I’m happy about his performance,” Hawthorne told the Observer yesterday.

“When he competed at the CAC in Puerto Rico I spoke to him about it, but seeing him in the 4×4 to see that he has really stepped up… He ran an excellent leg. I’m happy for all the St Jago past athletes. All three of them.”