Golden girl's manager goes underground

Funny the people you bump into here on the last subway train away from the stadium just before midnight. You expect athlete managers to be, at worst, in official buses or, more likely, in taxis and courtesy cars. Yet, having just seen his client, Veronica Campbell, win the women's 100m, I found Claude Bryant taking the punter's route back to his hotel.

Claude was telling me how proud he was of Veronica, of how brilliantly she coped with the pressure considering Asafa Powell's failure the night before. Now Campbell, not Powell, becomes Jamaica's first winner of an Olympic or World 100m title. Quite a feather when you think of the sprinters who have come out of the country.

Don Quarrie, Lennox Miller, Herb McKenley, Merlene Ottey to name some who wore the Jamaican vest. Then there were those born in Jamaica but who went on to win gold for other countries - Donovan Bailey, Linford Christie for example. And not forgetting - we never will - Ben Johnson.

Claude was telling me how Campbell hails from the same Jamaican parish as Johnson, Michael Green and Usain Bolt - Trelawny. "So I would think, pound for pound, that Trelawny is considered the best parish in Jamaica (for producing athletes)," he said.

"Population-wise it is one of the less inhabited parishes of the country due to the fact that it is mountainous terrain. It is a little less developed than other places, which may lend itself to athletes doing so well because there is a lot of walking that takes place over rugged terrain."

On that basis, I wonder why Exmoor, North Devon, where I live - hasn't produced an Olympic champion sprinter. Not even an English Schools champion, so far as I know. You want rugged terrain and people out walking? Come to Exmoor. Should I invite Claude over for a few days' talent spotting? I'd start him on my local postman - he could do with a  bit of speeding up.

But then Claude expands his theory. "I think it is a combination of things - the opportunities that track and field affords an individual to get an education, get an opportunity to go overseas. I also think the tradition - we have had many Olympic champions over the years - George Rhoden and Arthur Wint at 400m, Deon Hemmings at 400m hurdles, Don Quarrie and Veronica at 200."

The young Campbell idolised Ottey - a Jamaican before she switched to Slovenia - and now she is grateful to her for recent advice. Ottey, for all her triumphs, never won an Olympic gold medal. But back to the subway....and Victah Sailer, a US photographer I sometimes travel back with and who has covered every World Championships except the first. The late nights and early mornings are catching up.

"How many pictures have you taken in the three days so far, Victah?" I ask.

"6,000," he says.

"What's been the highlight?"

"Sleep," he says.