Veronica Campbell Brown

         Veronica Campbell Brown was born May 5, 1982 in Trelawny, Jamaica. She specializes in the 100 and 200 meter dash. She was a great runner even in primary school which landed her a scholarship to one of Jamaica’s venerable high school track programs, Vere Technical. In 1999, she became the first female to win the World Youth Games 100 meter title. The next year, she won her first of five Olympic Games medals courtesy of a relay silver medal at the Sydney Games. Veronica became the youngest Jamaican female to win an Olympic medal. At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Veronica gained three medals: a bronze in the 100 meter with a time of 10.91 seconds, gold in the 200 meter with a time of 22.05 seconds, and gold in the 4-by-100 meter relay. At the 2007 World Championships, Veronica captured the 100m title and became the first athlete (male or female) to win the full offering of International Association of Athlete Federation (IAAF) sprint titles available. That 2007 World Championship 100m gold medal made her the first Jamaican to win a senior global 100m title. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Veronica became the second woman in Olympic Games history to successfully defend her 200m title. She got the gold medal with her best time of 21.74 seconds.

            At the 2011 World Outdoor Championship, she finally secured the 200m crown. Also, she won silver medals in the 100m and 4x100m relays. At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Veronica got the bronze medal in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.81 seconds. Her 4-by-100 meter relay team took home the silver medal. Veronica currently has seven Olympic medals. Veronica is now married to the 2006 Commonwealth Games 200 meter Champion Omar Brown.

 "IAAF: Athlete Profile for Veronica Campbell-Brown." Iaaf.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/jamaica/veronica-campbell-brown-134999#biography>.

"Veronica Campbell Brown." Veronica Campbell Brown. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. <http://veronicacampbellbrown.com/london.html>.

http://www.olympic.org/veronica-campbell-brown

Amanda Smock

Amanda Smock was born on July 27, 1982 to parents Beth and Glen Thieschafer. She grew up in the small town, Melrose, in rural Minnesota where she began competing in gymnastics at age 4. She was very close to her father, who was a gymnast coach and wanted her to pursue gymnastics. However, she gave up gymnastics when she became a teenager and started track and field. She excelled at long jump, pole vault, triple jump, and sprinting events. Smock graduated from Melrose High School in 2000. She attended North Dakota State University on an athletic scholarship, graduating in 2004. In college, she was a three-time NCAA Division II triple jump champion. Amanda Smock holds four national triple jump titles, two at USA Outdoors and two at USA Indoors. After Smock failed to make the Olympic Team in 2008, her father crossed "2008" off of his credential and added "2012." Smock lost her father shortly after the trials. In 2011, Smock won the USA Outdoor Championships with a jump of 46.2 ft., but was just shy of making the needed B standard for the World Championships. Days before the World team was announced, Smock jumped a personal best of 46.5 ft. and went to Daegu to compete.

In 2012, she won the Indoor Championship with a jump of 45.2 ft., qualifying her for the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships. At the Olympic Trials she won the event with a jump of 45.7 ft. and qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  At the games, she failed to advance out of the qualifying round of competition with her best jump of 44.7 ft. and placed 11th. Amanda Smock is now married to her former college teammate, Greg Smock and coaches long and triple jump for Macalester College’s track and field team. 

"Amanda Smock." Team USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.teamusa.org/usa-track-and-field/athletes/Amanda-Smock>.

"Amanda Smock Biography." Amanda Smock Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.asicsamerica.com/athletes/amanda-smock>.

"Amanda Smock." USA Track & Field -. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2015. <http://www.usatf.org/Athlete-Bios/Amanda-Smock.aspx>.