MONTEGO BAY, St James — World-class athletes don’t always repeat errors, which is why 100m sprinters should not expect former IAAF World Championships 100m champion Veronica Campbell Brown to have a poor start as she did in her opening race at the recent Jamaica International Invitational meet at the National Stadium.

Campbell Brown, who stormed back from fifth place midway the race to nip Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptist on the finish line to win in 11.01 seconds, admitted she was not as alert to the starter’s gun as she should have been.

“In every race you normally learn things that you need to go back and work on,” Campbell Brown said.

She added: “I needed to be a little more alert (tonight). I felt like I was sleeping somewhat, I didn’t react the way I should have, but it was my first 100m and it normally gets the kinks out. I am glad I got it out of the way and I look forward to the rest of the season.”

Despite this, Campbell Brown, who ran several 200m races leading up to the JII event, was pleased with her time, in spite of what she described as “a shaky start”, but she reverted to her experience from years of competing, maintaining her composure “and kept running through my phases” to the victory.

The London Olympic Games 100m bronze medallist, who will compete next at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in New York at the end of May, said she had to change plans midway the race after the poor start. “When I realised I was not where I wanted to be, I just concentrated on doing what I needed to do and run through the phases,” she noted.