Campbell pleased with his progress

BUDAPEST, Hungary:

It may not have been the World Championships final experience that he would have hoped for but that is not going to deter national shot put champion Rajindra Campbell who is pleased with the progress he made this year.

Campbell did not register a mark in the shot put final after qualifying with 20.83m. According to Campbell, his execution was good but he was not having any luck in getting a legal mark.

But for him, it has not taken the shine off a year where he believes he has made the best advancement in his career.

“Not many difficulties. I executed it properly. I was watching the distance, watching the ball so that kind of pulled me out of the ring. But my first World Championships, first final, the experience is good. There are a lot of areas that I need to improve on,” Campbell said.

One of those areas for him is to get stronger next year which will put him in good stead.

“Definitely have to get stronger for next year. I think one of the main obstacles that I encountered this year was that I am not as strong as what is required to throw the shot put. Now I will get back to work and come back next year,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s season has seen him become national champion and the national record holder, which he claimed last month, to get to the World Championships. Having made his first final at the first attempt, he described his year as deserving of the award for Rookie of the Year.

“We covered a lot of ground this year. I am proud, I am grateful. Healthy season. With the amount of limitation that I had on my body, strength-wise, I am excited about the future,” Campbell said.

Having a front-row seat to America’s Ryan Crouser defending his world title by smashing the championship record twice has given him the motivation to surpass his own limits

“He did it and I can do it too,” Campbell said.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com