The 39-year-old VCB, the only woman to win a medal in five consecutive Olympics, in a post on social media said the time had come to hang up her spikes.
“As I take off my spikes never to put them on again, this girl from Clarks Town, Trelawny, walks away happy and contented with a race well run,” VCB said in her post, indicating that a career as a mother, entrepreneur and motivational speaker awaits.
In response, Fraser-Pryce, who like VCB is a two-time Olympic champion, thanked the track and field icon, who has helped pave the way for so many other Jamaican women.
“Thanks for leading the way @VCampbellBrown!! Carrying the torch and continuing the legacy for Jamaica,” the Pocket Rocket tweeted Wednesday.
Fraser-Pryce was a member of Jamaica’s team to the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan where she was a relay alternate. However, the following year, VCB effectively passed the torch to Fraser-Pryce when the latter booked her place on Jamaica’s team to the Beijing Olympics, by finishing second at the national championships in Kingston, clocking 10.82.
VCB was fourth in 10.88.
Since then, Frater Pryce has been Jamaica’s leading female sprinter winning Olympic 100m titles in 2008 and 2012 as well as four World titles in the 100m.
The eight-time Olympic medalist spoke during an interview at the Edwin Moses Legends Meet held at Morehouse College in Atlanta on Saturday.
“It is important to me to mentor not only Jamaican track & field but females in general because, growing up, I had a lot of influential women there to support and inspire me,” she said.
“Inspiring others is one of the things that I’m passionate about because I know that a lot it’s not just about your talent or how good you are, it’s about how mentally tough and resilient you are to go towards your goals and get over the hurdles and obstacles that are in your way,” Campbell-Brown added.
Most of her motivational work is done through her foundation, Veronica Campbell-Brown Foundation.
“I’m very interested in motivating and I’m always doing that. I motivate girls through my foundation and every chance I get, I try to inspire and uplift girls and women to achieve their goals no matter the obstacles they face,” she said.
Campbell-Brown also offered her opinion on the rise of women’s sports in general.
“It’s continuing to rise and get more respect and attention which is great. It takes the entire world to come behind all of us and just motivate, push and support us because as women we have to work extra hard to achieve what we want and to break down the glass ceiling,” she stated.
The 42-year-old is the second of three women in history to win consecutive Olympic 200m titles and is also one of only nine athletes to win world championships at the youth, junior, and senior levels.
She boasts personal bests of 10.76 seconds in the 100m and 21.74 seconds in the 200m.
Campbell-Brown was the 100m gold medalist at the 2007 World Championships and the 200m gold medalist at the 2011 World Championships.
Throughout her illustrious career, she has also secured seven silver medals and one bronze medal at the World Championships.
She is also a two-time World Indoor champion over 60m.
In the 20 years since then she has won three gold medals including consecutive 200m titles at the 2004 Games in Athens and then in Beijing in 2008 as well as a sprint relay gold won in Athens.
Three silver medals and two bronze medals put her Olympic medal count at eight, making her one of the world’s most successful female sprinters in Olympic history.
However, for the 37-year-old sprint queen, qualifying for a sixth Olympics would be a nice way to bow out of what has been an illustrious career.
"It would be like icing on the cake if I'm able to run in my sixth Olympic Games because I feel like I don't have anything else to prove," said Campbell-Brown, who has also won 11 medals at the World Championships.
"But at this stage in my life and my career, running in the Olympic Games one more time would be extra special."
However, there are many obstacles in her way including Jamaica’s premier female sprinters Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson as well as a crop of promising youngsters like Briana Williams, Natalliah Whyte, Jonielle Smith, and Natasha Morrison.
Fraser-Pryce, Williams, Smith and Whyte combined to win the 4x100m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha.
The biggest obstacle to VCB’s Olympic hopes is the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic that could see the 2020 Olympics being postponed or cancelled.
Competing for Vere Technical High School, VCB won the sprint double twice in her final two years at Champs, adding a relay gold to take the treble in her final year in 2001. Her 100m record of 11.12 set that year still stands. In 2000, she won the 100m and 200m in 11.62 and 23.49 respectively.
However, she had to learn how to win. In 1999, she lost in both sprints St.Jago’s Melaine Walker. Walker edged her in the 100m clocking a winning time of 11.63 to VCB’s 11.65 but she was a more convincing winner in the 200m, clocking 23.71 to VCB’s 23.90.
Campbell-Brown, speaking during a Youtube interview with marketing and public relations consultant Tanya Lee, the Jamaican track icon said competing at Champs was an excellent experience for her.
“It taught me how to run and win under pressure and I think my days at Champs actually helped me in my career because it was so competitive,” said Campbell Brown, who won Olympic gold medals in the 200m in 2004 and 2008, and a 100m World Championship gold in 2007.
She explained that her battle-readiness was honed during those days when Vere and St. Jago High High were engaged in heated athletic warfare.
“At Vere, it was all about us and St. Jago at the time so everything we did was about training and preparing for Champs,” she said.
“Sometimes we would get up at 5 am to train and we didn’t mind because it was all about making the Champs team and when we got there to be able to put on our best show and run as fast and earn as many points as possible.”
She added that the atmosphere at Champs is like no other, including the Olympics and the World Championships.
“The excitement, the pot covers beating, the horn-blowing and all that just gives you that extra energy and to go out there and perform well and make your staff and teammates proud. The energy and the environment is second to none.”
After Champs, VCB would go on to win eight Olympic medals including three gold, 11 World Championships medals inclusive of three gold and two gold World Indoor medals among a total haul of more than 50 international medals won while representing Jamaica.
Expressing her gratitude on Instagram, Campbell Brown wrote, “Thank you @njcaa for the Hall of Fame induction, I deeply appreciate this prestigious recognition. I want to thank everyone who supported and believed in me throughout my journey.” She received her award with her husband Omar and their two children proudly looking on from the audience.
The NJCAA Hall of Fame aims to celebrate individuals who have significantly contributed to opportunities at the two-year college level, both athletically and professionally. The Hall of Fame honours administrators, coaches, student-athletes, and influential contributors who have been pioneers throughout the association's history.
Campbell Brown's journey to greatness began in Trelawny, Jamaica, and led her to Barton Community College (KS), an NJCAA member, on a track and field scholarship. As a Cougar, she set numerous records, some of which still stand today.
She holds NJCAA records in the 200m outdoor and the 60m indoor track and field events. After her successful stint at Barton, she moved to the University of Arkansas, where she continued to break records and is now celebrated as the most decorated Olympic athlete associated with the state.
Turning professional in 2004, Campbell Brown made history at the Athens Olympics, becoming the first Jamaican woman to win a gold medal in a sprint event. Her performance at these Games, which also included a gold in the relay and a bronze in the 200m, established her as the most successful Caribbean athlete at a single Olympics.
She continued to shine at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming only the second woman to defend her 200m title successfully.
Her Olympic career spanned five Games, from 2000 to 2016, where she competed in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, medaling in each edition. Her rivalry with Allyson Felix is one of the most memorable in athletics, with both athletes dominating the 200m event from 2004 onwards.
Beyond the Olympics, Campbell Brown's achievements include multiple medals at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Championships, Continental Cup, World Athletics Final, World Relay Championships, World Junior Championships, CAC Junior Championships, and Carifta Games.
Since retiring, Campbell Brown has taken on roles such as a UNESCO Sport Ambassador and founder of the VCB Foundation, which provides mentorship and financial assistance to young women in Jamaica.
Campbell Brown’s induction into the NJCAA Hall of Fame recognizes her remarkable contributions to track and field and her enduring impact on the sport and beyond.
She retires with a collection of eight Olympic medals, three of them gold, and 13 World Championship medals, including five gold. She has broken 11 seconds for 100m on 49 occasions – a tally beaten only by sprint legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Merlene Ottey.
Reacting to the news of her retirement, President of the JOA Christopher Samuda, said he applauded VCB for her enduring legacy.
“Veronica Campbell-Brown has announced her retirement from the sport of athletics but will remain active as an exemplar of the best in track and field.
“ A life in sport dedicated to service to her country with self-sacrificial love which earned her indisputable credentials on the track. More than the gold she garnered at several international events was her commitment to pioneer for the good of successive generations,” he said.
“Her value transcends her admirable imprints on the track and resides in the invaluable lessons she has taught and will give to those who have the courage to follow in her strides Her Olympic career, particularly her 200m achievements, is an example to aspiring athletes and many Jamaicans will recall her victories in Athens and Beijing Olympic Games which captured hearts and ignited national pride.”
Minister Grange, who was responsible for having a statue of Campbell-Brown mounted at the National Stadium in Kingston, in recent years, said the champion sprinter deserves all the praise for an incredible career.
“Veronica Campbell-Brown is Jamaica’s most decorated female athlete; we cannot praise her enough for her outstanding performances. The fact that she has won three Olympic gold medals, three world championships gold medals and she has had so many other awards to her name, being nominated by me for the UNESCO Champion for Sport because of her interest in women in sports.
The fact that she has established her own foundation to help young athletes and those who are vulnerable. The fact that Veronica has conducted herself in a manner that one can only think of a dignified woman when you think of Veronica Campbell-Brown.
“And so she is most deserving of all the accolades and praises that will be showered on her. I wish her well in her retirement. I wish her success in her business ventures, in working on her brand, and her merchandising and to be able to market herself as effectively as she made Jamaica proud.”
Her first child, Avianna, was born on February 23, 2019.
“Four decades! I am grateful to celebrate another milestone with hubby and Avianna as we excitedly anticipate the arrival of baby number two,” she said on Instagram.
“Today is the beginning of another year if abundant blessings.”
After a glittering career during which she won 49 medals in international competition including Olympic titles in the 200m in Athens in 2004 and in Beijing in 2008as well as a 100m world title in 2007, Campbell-Brown announced her retirement in June 2021, just prior to the start of the Jamaican National Athletics Championships at select a team to the Tokyo Olympics.
In her illustrious career, Campbell-Brown, who competed in five Olympic Games, clinched gold in the 200m at both the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 Olympics, becoming a national icon and a source of inspiration for many. Now retired and a mother of two, she continues to be a beacon of support for Jamaica's sporting community.
In her Instagram post, Campbell-Brown wrote, "To all the incredible athletes competing at the Paris Olympics, I wish you the very best. You have trained tirelessly for this moment. Compete with grit, savour every step of the journey, and know that you are crafting memories that will last a lifetime and inspiring the next generation. Go for gold!"
Having competed at five Olympic Games starting in 2000 in Sydney and concluding in Rio 2016, her message resonates deeply with fans and athletes alike, reminding them of the significance of their hard work and dedication. As a revered figure in Jamaican athletics, the now 42-year-old Campbell-Brown’s words carry immense weight and serve as a powerful motivator for the athletes preparing to compete on the world stage.
The Paris Olympics holds special meaning for the Jamaican team, not only because of the legacy left by athletes like Campbell-Brown but also because of the rich history and pride associated with their participation in the Games. The team, comprising seasoned competitors and promising newcomers, is expected to perform with the same tenacity and excellence that has characterized Jamaican athletics for decades.
As the athletes gear up for their events, Campbell-Brown’s encouragement adds to the wave of support from fans and well-wishers back home. Her legacy as one of the greatest sprinters in history with eight Olympic medals to her name, and her continued involvement in the sport ensure that her influence remains strong, inspiring current and future generations of athletes.
Like most of us, there are many things she would love to get a second crack at, but the one that seems to have been stuck in her craw is the finals of the Women’s 100m at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.
The two-time Olympic 200m champion had been having a great year in 2011. She ran a personal best 10.76 in Ostrava on May 31 and went into the World Championships in fine form.
“I think I was on pace to win,” VCB recalled during a recent YouTube interview with marketing consultant Tanya Lee.
Campbell Brown eased through the first round in 11.18, a time that was third fastest of the Jamaicans. Kerron Stewart, the 2009 silver medallist, and defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce both clocked 11.12 and eased into the semi-finals.
In the semis, VCB clocked 11.06 to qualify for the finals. It was the fourth-fastest time behind the 11.02 from the USA’s Carmelita Jeter, 11.03 from Fraser-Pryce and 11.05 from Kelly-Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago.
However, the draw was unkind to the 2007 100m champion and she ended up in lane 8.
From there, things did not go according to plan.
“I messed up so badly at the start,” VCB explained.
“I do not like to make excuses but when I think about that race, I did not hear the gun clearly. The starting system behind us was a weird one. They had speakers behind us but there was no speaker behind me so think I heard the echo of the gun so I started slow.”
Left in the blocks Campbell-Brown, fuelled by her indomitable spirit, raced through the field, getting by Stewart, then Fraser-Pryce and just squeezed past Baptiste. However, she ran out of real estate crossing the line second in 10.97s. Jeter won the gold in 10.90s with Baptiste taking the bronze in 10.98.
“I made up a lot of ground. I almost caught Carmelita but I was too late; so if I could redo that race I would and hope to react a little better, challenge Carmelita better and maybe the result would have been different.”
With a record five 100m world titles and two Olympic blue-ribbon titles to her name, Fraser-Pryce is part of a golden era of Jamaican sprinters that includes illustrious figures like Usain Bolt, Melaine Walker, Veronica Campbell Brown and many more.
Her journey from a young girl in Waterhouse to a global athletics icon is a testament to the power of determination and talent.
"It definitely feels good, I think for me, especially coming from, you know, Waterhouse, a young girl who didn't, you know, know where she would end up in the future," Fraser-Pryce shared in an interview with Black Enterprise.
"But to be able to be one of the icons of our country is really phenomenal. And being able to give inspiration to other young girls who are coming from similar situations as I was, or even now, being able to relate to where I'm at on my journey, whether it's on motherhood, age, or a lot of things. So being able to drive that, you know, here in my hometown, being able to say that I'm homegrown, being able to say that."
Fraser-Pryce's success has not only made her a sporting legend but also a hometown hero. She acknowledges the support of the people of Jamaica, saying, "A lot of who I am is because of the people of Jamaica and how much they have poured into me, and their support has always been so constant."
Representing her country and community fills her with immense pride, knowing that she carries their hopes and dreams with her on the world stage.
Being part of Jamaica's golden era of track and field athletes has driven Fraser-Pryce to continuously raise the bar.
"I think that helps us to elevate who we are as a country and as women when we step on the line to know that we have such a rich history when it comes to track and field," she stated. It motivates her to give her all, showcasing the strength and prowess of Jamaican athletes to the world.
Despite being a small island nation, Fraser-Pryce firmly believes that Jamaica's athletes have made a significant impact. "You always want to make sure that we, you know, we show up, and I show up, and being able to put our country first because we understand what limited resources mean," she said. Fraser-Pryce wants to inspire young athletes in Jamaica that greatness can be achieved even on their home turf with the right mindset and determination.
"We're little, but we tallawah," Fraser-Pryce emphasized. "It's not about the size but the punch. So we're able to really make a statement globally, and we're really appreciative of all that we've been able to accomplish."
“As I take off my spikes never to put them on again, this girl from Clarks Town, Trelawny, walks away happy and contented with a race well run,” the two-time Olympic 200m champion and one of the most decorated female athletes in history, posted on Instagram earlier today.
As a junior, the now 39-year-old Campbell-Brown won gold medals for Jamaica in the 100m and 4x100m relay at the inaugural World U18 Championships in Bydgoszcz. The following year, she won the sprint double at the World U20 champions and with the performance, the hearts of her fellow Jamaicans.
Also, among the 27 gold medals she has won during an outstanding junior and senior career, VCB, as she was affectionately known to her millions of adoring fans, became to the first Jamaican woman to win a 100m world title when in Osaka, Japan. It was only one of three gold, seven silver and a bronze medal she would win at those championships to go along with three Olympic gold medals, three silver and two bronze medals.
She also won two gold medals at the World Indoor Championships.
“As I climbed, I passed the rung of hurt, that of injuries and rejection, not to mention tears. However, they quenched my aspiration to grasp the fruits of success and satisfaction. For that I must venture to say that I am proud and grateful,” she said in her farewell message.
“I want to thank the persons and companies who contributed to my success; my family, especially my husband Omar Brown who in the latter years served as my coach. I must mention friends, fans and supporters, sponsors, coaches and my agent @ontrackmgmt. I could not have done it without your help and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
VCB, who gave birth to a daughter, Avianna, two years ago, did not indicate why she decided to retire at this particular point in time.
She competed in eight 100m races this season, the last at the NACAC New Life Invitational in Miramar, Florida where she ran her fastest time of the season, 11.20 to finish fifth.
At the lavish event held at the Antun’s Banquet Hall in Queens Village, New York, both former athletes received Lifetime Achievement Awards for their respective contributions to the sport of athletics and their enduring legacies are two of the island's greatest ever.
Campbell-Brown, who retired in 2021 and who celebrated her 40th birthday on May 15, is the most decorated female athlete from Jamaica winning eight Olympic medals including three gold. She won two of those gold medals over 200m in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008, respectively.
She also won 11 World Championships medals including three gold medals – the 100m in Osaka, Japan in 2007, 200m in Daegu, South Korea in 2011 and a 4x100m relay gold in 2015.
“Thanks to the Comets Club International for honouring me alongside the legendary sprints athlete Mr Donald Quarrie with the Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding service to athletics. I am humbled by the recognition,” said Campbell-Brown, who is pregnant with her second child with her husband, Omar.
Quarrie, 71, won 200m gold and 100m silver at the Montreal Olympics in 1976 as well as a bronze in the 200m in Moscow in 1980. He is a six-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist winning the sprint double in 1970 and 1974 and the 100m in 1978.
On retirement from the sport, he served as an administrator with the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) for many years and was a member of Jamaica's delegation to global championships.
Like Campbell-Brown, Quarrie was moved by the occasion during which the gathering watched in delight a four-minute video of highlights of some of his races from the Montreal Olympics, Pan Am and Commonwealth Games was shown to the gathering.
Founder and executive director of the Montego Bay Comets and Comets International Aubrey Campbell said the event went according to plan with great support from the Diaspora and the honourees themselves were very gracious in the acceptance speeches.
“Donald, of course, pointed out that they are seen on television and in stadiums, but over dinner and in conversation, being honoured made him feel appreciated,” Campbell disclosed.
Campbell, a 3000m bronze medallist at the ISSA Boys Championships in 1977, said Campbell-Brown noted in her acceptance speech that you should not let failure prevent you from achieving success and that despite humble beginnings you can reach for the stars.
Also at the gala, former Edwin Allen athlete Jodi-Ann Dixon, now a student at Hinds Junior College in Mississippi was the first recipient of the organisation’s Rising Star Award.
The 38-year-old VCB ran 7.34 finishing behind the talented American emerging sprinter Tamari Davis, who ran a personal 7.18 for the win at the East Coast Invitational at the Virginia Beach Sports Centre. Barbara Pierre was third in 7.35.
Campbell-Brown, who was also running for the first time since the birth of her daughter, Avianna Brown in February 2019, said she was content with the performance.
"2.5+ years since I last competed. I returned to competition today at the East Coast Invitational with two rounds of 60ms (7.43s and 7.34s). A decent start to my 2021 athletics campaign. There is a lot of work to be done, but I am up for the challenge,” she said.
In the men’s equivalent, Barbados’ Ramon Gittens was third in 6.79s. The race was won by Jackson Webb in 6.64 in a close finish with Joseph Manu who was timed in 6.66.
The 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion, who has a personal best of 21.74 from 2008, clocked 23.73 into a headwind of -1.1m/s but finished well clear of Amanda Stead and Amaya Johnson, who were second and third in 24.40 and 24.71, respectively.
This was Campbell-Brown’s first outdoor meet this season. She ran a 7.34 60m dash indoors at Virginia Beach in February.
Her last time under 23 seconds, 22.60 was done in Gainesville, Florida in March 2017.
Campbell-Brown, 38, was out of competition for more than two years recovering from injury and giving birth to her daughter Avianna Amora Brown, who was born in February 2019.
During the 2004 season, VCB won the Indoor 200m title and was a four-time All-American after transferring from Barton Community College. However, according to Harter despite her short time at the school, the now five-time Olympian had a lasting impact on their athletic programme.
"Veronica probably single-handedly put us on the map as far as becoming a program for sprinters," said Harter.
"I think we were stereotyped as a program that was heavy in the distances and the field events. Veronica immediately brought us legitimacy and world stature in the sprints."
Since those days in 2004, her legacy and her image have influenced some of the world’s best athletes to attend including fellow Olympian and Jamaicans Omar McLeod and Janeek Brown, who have both excelled there.
"There's a very large picture of Veronica on our office wall when you walk down the hallway, and she's holding a bunch of Olympic medals. It's obviously there to impress recruits so they know Veronica came to school here. That's a lot of credibility and notoriety for our program," said Harter, who has been with the programme for the past three decades.
Campbell-Brown, who will be hoping to compete at her sixth Olympic Games this summer, was on March 13, inducted into the 2020 Class of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame at the Statehouse Convention Centre in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Campbell-Brown, 37, graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2006 with a degree in marketing.
“It feels like home. Just being here in the city and contributed so much to the athletics programme and graduated from the University of Arkansas, so it feels like home,” said the three-time Olympic gold medallist.
She would later post on her Facebook page that it was an honour to be recognized by the city.
“I am honoured to be inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and to join so many great inductees whose achievements and contributions brought honour, fame and prestige to the state of Arkansas,” she said.
Campbell Brown, who also has a daughter with husband and fellow former sprinter Omar Brown, made the announcement on her Instagram page on Tuesday.
Campbell Brown, 40, won back-to-back Olympic 200m gold medals in Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008 as well as a 100m gold medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. She also won 200m World Championship gold in 2011 in Daegu.
The health fair provided a wide range of medical services, with professionals conducting 115 medical exams, 95 immunizations, 50 cholesterol checks, and 42 HIV tests. Students also received back-to-school supplies. The comprehensive nature of the event underscored the foundation’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of the community, particularly for students preparing to return to school.
In a statement from the VCB Foundation, organizers expressed their gratitude to all those who contributed to the event’s success: "A huge thank you to our incredible partners, volunteers, and everyone who made our Back to School Health Fair and Wellness event a success. Over 200 people served and 440-plus services offered. Together, we are building a healthier and stronger community! We are looking forward to next year!"
The non-profit organization, which is dedicated to empowering the next generation by providing educational resources and mentorship to high school students in need, continues to make a significant impact through initiatives like the health fair. Campbell-Brown, who is a two-time Olympic 200m gold medalist, and her husband Omar were actively involved as volunteers, offering support and spreading joy among the several hundred patrons in attendance. The event also featured entertainment, adding to the positive atmosphere and making it a memorable occasion for all involved.
Reflecting on the event, Campbell-Brown expressed her gratitude and ambition for future editions. "I am grateful for the support of the VCB Foundation. Let us make the event even more impactful next year," she said.
The success of the health fair was made possible by the generous support of several organizations, including Adidas, Juici Patties, Miss Birdie Jamaica, Grace Foods, and New Fortress Energy, among others. Their contributions helped ensure that the event could offer a wide range of services to the community.
As a past student of Vere Technical High School, which dominated the ISSA Boys and Girls Championships during her time, Campbell-Brown’s commitment to giving back to her community through her foundation continues to leave a lasting legacy. The Back to School Health Fair and Wellness event is just one of many initiatives through which the VCB Foundation is making a positive difference in the lives of young Jamaicans.
Campbell, who clocked 11.55 was beaten by USA’s Mikiah Brisco who won in 11.42.
Caitland Smith of the USA was third in 11.60.
The iconic Jamaican lost but rising stars Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and Tynia Gaither emerged winners in their respective events.
Camacho-Quinn, the world leader in the 100m hurdles, claimed victory in 12.84 beating Americans Christina Clemons and Queen Claye, who were second and third in 12.92 and 13.21, respectively.
Gaither, meanwhile, held off American Candice Hill to win the 200m in 23.11. The American was a close second in 23.17. Morolake Akinosun was third in 23.26.
In the 400m, Jamaica’s Chrisann Gordon-Powell finished third behind Allyson Felix who won the event in a season-best 50.88. Gordon-Powell, the 2017 NCAA champion, clocked 51.42 just behind Jessica Beard who was second in 51.31.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ruebin Walters ran 13.73 for second place in the 110m hurdles won by the USA’s Aaron Mallet, who clocked 13.64 for the win.
Wellington Zaza of Liberia finished third in 13.77.
