Leighton Levy, Freelance Writer

Simpson (87) ...returning to top form. - file

GRADUALLY RESURRECTING her career after a forgettable 2007, 2006 Commonwealth Games 200-metre champion Sherone Simpson is entering this weekend's National Olympic trials with growing confidence.

Following a disastrous season in which injury derailed the momentum she had built in 2006 when she ruled both short sprints, Simpson has gradually clawed her way back to full fitness and is looking even better than she did two years ago. "I can safely say that this year I am further ahead than I was in 2006," Simpson said. "This year I have been running much faster in the 400m; my opener in the 100m - (11.09seconds in Qatar) - was my fastest opener, so I think so far that is where I want to be," she said.

In 2006, Simpson ran a world's best 10.82 seconds over the 100m. She also had the next six fastest times run that year, all under 11 seconds. Over the 200m, she ran 22.00 twice, also the fastest times in the world that year. Her crowning moment was winning the Commonwealth Games 200m title, defeating fellow Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown in the final. It was her first 'major' individual gold medal.

In 2007, her luck changed for the worse. She sustained a tear to her right quadriceps muscle and, even though she tried to recover in time, was unable to even attend the national trials to select the team for the World Athletic Championships held in Osaka, Japan.

She spent the off-season resting and healing and then worked on getting stronger, running a personal best 51.25 over the 400m at the UTech 50th anniversary meet on March 22. The time was two seconds faster than she had run over the distance the year before.

Confidence boosted

Simpson's confidence was further boosted following a 22.43-second clocking to win the 200m sprint in Berlin on June 1, and then followed up with a 10.99-second, second-place finish behind American Tori Edwards at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, on June 8.

The latter, she said, was a technically poor race but it confirmed for her what great shape she was in.

"The 10.99, technically, was a poor race but to be able to run 10.99s doing so poorly it just shows what I am capable of doing and I just want to ensure that I get it right for the trials," she said.

Simpson has looked good in training. She appears strong, fluid and fast as she worked on correcting the flaws that were identified from her race in Oregon. "Training has been going well; good, real good," she confirmed.

Grateful for the turnaround, she is aware that she will have her hands full as she tries to qualify to run both the 100m and 200m in Beijing. Jamaica boasts a deep female sprint team with Campbell-Brown (10.88, 22.24), Kerron Stewart (10.96, 22.43), Simone Facey (10.95, 22.66) and Sherri-Ann Brooks all seeking the three available spots for individual competitors at the Olympics. "Let me tell you something, it's going to be very difficult," she said of this weekend's trials. "The semi-finals, you have to put everything into it to make sure that you make the finals, and not to leave out Shelly-Ann Fraser who is also a part of our team," she said. "Most of the girls are really running well, it is going to be very competitive but I know what I am capable of doing. I am just going to focus on myself, just execute and run technically good races."