Simpson returns – Olympic star on track after overcoming injury
ANGELS, St Catherine — Beijing Olympic Games 100m silver medallist Sherone Simpson is continuing her return to a full athletics schedule after being sidelined for most of last year following surgery on her knee.
After running what she described as possibly one of her best 400m races as part of the MVP team which won the 4x400m relay at Saturday’s 32nd Milo Western Relays at GC Foster College, the 25-year-old Simpson told the Observer she was back to full fitness and looking forward to a successful season.
“The knee really feels good and I just give thanks that I’m able to continue and not to feel any pain,” she said.
Simpson, who tied with Jamaican teammate Kerron Stewart for second place behind MVP teammate Shelly-Ann Fraser at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, was beaming after opening her season on Saturday.
“I felt good, I really felt good, I think this was one of the best 400m I have ever run,” she said.
Simpson had run her personal best of 51.25 seconds in a break-out year in 2006 when she also set her personal bests in the 100m (10.82 seconds) and 200m (22.0 seconds).
After being sidelined after the 2008 Olympics, Simpson, the 2006 Commonwealth Games 200m champion, had returned to competition last year and ran a season-best 11.15 seconds at a meet in Italy.
Asked about her long lay-off from competitive track and field, the former Manchester High runner said: “Wow, it has been long, definitely too long, but I am happy that I am able to compete, it has been a while but I give thanks that I am able to be running.”
Simpson, who is down to run the 400m event at Saturday’s UWI Classic, says her goals for this season is to surpass her personal bests and return to the top of the world rankings as she was in the 2006 season.
Simpson, who ran the lead- off leg of the gold medal-winning Jamaican girls 4x100m relay team at the IAAF World Junior Championships held in Kingston in 2002 is under no illusion that getting back on top will be easy, especially with her teammate Fraser on top of her game.
“The bar has been raised high and I just want to ensure that I work very hard and just run personal bests,” she noted.
Having Fraser in her camp and at training every day is a definite boost, Simpson said. “She is working hard and is a very good competitor and I am just happy to have her in my camp, Olympic champion, world champion, what more could I ask for,” she stated.