New York: Allyson Felix may have won three consecutive world championships, but do not proclaim her the world's best 200 metres runner just yet, the American said on Friday.
Felix told Reuters in an interview her Jamaican rival and two-time Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown should retain the title until at least the London Olympics in 2012.
"I feel like you have to have the Olympic gold medal in order to be that," said Felix, whose gold medals are all from the worlds. "I need to wait until 2012 to get another shot."
World top-ranked in four of the past five years by Track & Field News magazine, Felix has a 6-2 edge over Campbell-Brown in a 200-metres rivalry that continued Saturday at the New York Diamond League meeting.
But Campbell-Brown's two triumphs have come in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, where Felix was runner-up both times.
In contrast
Rivals since 2004, the two contrast in about every way but the distance of the event they run.
"She definitely (has) speed, I more endurance," said the 24-year-old Felix of Campbell-Brown, 28. "She's very powerful. I am powerful but not as powerful as her.
"It makes for a good match-up because she knows she has got to get out on me to get that win and I know I have to try to stay with her and come at the end."
So far, Campbell-Brown has the year's leading 200 metres time and Felix the top 400 metres clocking.
The 200 metres time, 22.32 seconds, could easily be topped yesterday when a sell-out crowd cheers on the two rivals. A large number of the spectators are expected to be Jamaicans living in the New York area.
