Just over a week ago, when Jerome Campbell stepped onto the track at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, he wasn’t just a young athlete looking to gain experience—he was a man who had already fulfilled a season-long goal.

The University of Northern Colorado junior had already made his mark on the NCAA circuit, and now, he was proudly representing Jamaica on the global stage.

“Making that team was my goal from the start,” Campbell said. “As soon as I knew Jamaica would be sending athletes to Nanjing, I told myself, I gotta be on that team.”

His qualification was backed by an outstanding indoor campaign where he produced a string of world-class performances in the 60m hurdles. On March 15, at the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach, Campbell clocked a personal best 7.49 seconds to win the silver medal, just behind national champion Ja’Kobe Tharp. The day before, he had posted 7.54 in the semi-finals, proving he was in the form of his life.

Campbell’s indoor season had been a steady climb toward that moment. In the lead-up to NCAAs, he ran 7.55 and 7.69 at the Arkansas Qualifier in February, then produced 7.65, 7.70, and 7.61 in earlier competitions at the Windy City Invite and the New Mexico Team Open. He ran 7.65 to win the Big Sky Conference title in Flagstaff on March 1, after opening the meet with 7.81 in the heats. His progression was clear: clean, consistent, and fast.

The 7.49 in Virginia Beach didn’t just secure an NCAA silver medal—it placed him in elite Jamaican company. Campbell now ranks joint-third on the Jamaican all-time indoor list in the 60m hurdles, tied with Ronald Levy and trailing only Maurice Wignall (7.48) and national record holder Omar McLeod (7.41).

“I knew I was capable. I’m one of the fastest starters in the NCAA and in Jamaica. I just needed to execute,” he said.

In Nanjing, the former Calabar and Jamaica College standout advanced comfortably from the heats, finishing second in his race in 7.61. He repeated that time in the semi-finals, where he placed third behind Grant Holloway and Wilhem Belocian to reach his first global final. In the medal round, however, things unraveled quickly.

“I got out really well, but I hit the first hurdle,” he explained. “And in a 60m hurdles race, that’s pretty much it. It’s hard to recover from that.”

He crossed the line in seventh place in 7.71 seconds. His countryman Demario Prince placed sixth in 7.63. But Campbell found solace in the aftermath, especially from the embrace and encouragement he received from the seemingly untouchable Holloway.

“He told me I’ve been progressing well, that I’ve got a bright future. That I shouldn’t let this define me because I’m a great hurdler,” Campbell recalled. “That meant a lot. It made me feel better right away, knowing I still have the rest of the season to go.”

The biggest takeaway for Campbell wasn’t about speed—it was about mindset.

“One of the things I’ve really learned is that every race is a final,” he said. “You can’t afford mistakes, not even in a heat. You’ve got to treat every round like it’s the last one, because at this level, a small error is the difference between winning and being out of the picture.”

One of the keys to Campbell’s continued improvement has been technical refinement. He credits coach Wayne Angel for helping transform his approach over the past two seasons.

“I used to hurdle with a straight lead leg,” he said. “But my coach taught me how to keep it bent, and that change helped me get off the hurdle quicker. Ever since I fixed that, my times just started dropping.”

Standing at just 5’9”, Campbell acknowledges that he doesn’t have the luxury of length like some of his taller competitors. That makes efficiency and precision critical to his success.

“I can’t afford mistakes. I don’t have the height to recover from hitting hurdles like some others can,” he said. “So I focus on running clean races. The cleaner the race, the faster the time.”

Looking ahead, Campbell has his eyes firmly set on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this September. With the Jamaican national trials in June and the NCAA Outdoor Championships just two weeks before that, managing his body will be crucial.

“We’re going to be smart about it. I won’t be racing every week,” he explained. “We’ll stay in the lab, get the work done, and make sure I recover well. Recovery and rehab are going to be key if I want to stay fresh through the summer.”

Campbell is now part of a surging group of Jamaican sprint hurdlers that includes the likes of Hansle Parchment, Rashid Broadbell, Orlando Bennett, and Tyler Mason. While many see him as the next in line, he remains focused only on his lane.

“I don’t compare myself. I just work my plan. Go to training, stay locked in, and do what I need to do to be ready when the time comes,” he said. “The goal is to be on that team to Tokyo. And I’m going to give everything to make that happen.”