Darren Campbell facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darren Campbell
MBE

Darren Campbell in 2009
Personal information
Nationality	British
Born	(1973-09-12) 12 September 1973 (age 51) Sale, Cheshire, England
Height	6 ft 0.5 in (1.84 m)
Sport
Sport	Athletics
Event(s)	100 metres, 200 metres
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Great Britain and  England Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 4x100 m relay Silver 2000 Sydney 200 m World Championships Silver 1999 Sevilla 4x100 m relay Bronze 1997 Athens 4x100 m relay Bronze 2003 Paris 100 m European Championships Gold 1998 Budapest 100 m Gold 1998 Budapest 4x100 m relay Gold 2006 Gothenburg 4x100 m relay Silver 2002 Munich 100 m Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur 4x100 m relay Gold 2002 Manchester 4x100 m relay Bronze 2002 Manchester 200 m

Darren Andrew Campbell, MBE (born 12 September 1973) is a British former sprint athlete. He was a coach for Wasps Rugby Club for the 2015–16 season. He competed in the 100 metres and 200 metres races. He also ran in the 4 × 100 metres relay team events.

Darren Campbell was a very talented young athlete. He won many medals at junior championships around the world. He even took a break from athletics to play professional football for two years. But he came back to athletics in 1995. He then went to his first Olympics soon after.

He became a key part of the British 4 × 100 meter relay team. Between 1997 and 2000, he won two World Championship medals. He also won a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. His team even set a new European record in the relay race. Darren also had great success in individual races. He became the European Champion in the 100 meters in 1998. He won his first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 200 meters at the 2000 Sydney Games. In the 100 meters, he won a silver medal at the 2002 European Championships. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2003 World Championships.

Campbell was part of one of Britain's best relay teams ever. They won the European Cup in 1999 and 2000. They also won at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The team took gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. This was the first time a British team had won this event since 1912. Darren had also won a gold medal at the 2002 European Championships. He won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. However, he had to return these medals. This happened because a teammate was found to have broken rules. He won his last medal in 2006. This was another relay gold at the European Championships. He retired from racing soon after.

Darren's fastest times were 10.04 seconds in the 100 meters and 20.13 seconds in the 200 meters. These times were good, but not the fastest in the world. However, he was known as a "championship" runner. This means he performed his best in important finals. He won many more medals than his times alone might suggest.

Today, Darren works with different Premier League football clubs. He helps players improve their sprinting skills. He also visits schools often to encourage children to get involved in sports. He does this for the Youth Sport Trust. In September 2024, Darren joined a sports technology company called Feldspar. He will help develop and test new high-performance running tracks.

Career Highlights

Starting Out

Darren Campbell grew up in Sale, England. He was a talented athlete and footballer when he was young. His first big win in athletics was a gold medal at the English Schools Championships in the 200 meters.

In 1991, Darren won gold medals in the 100 meters and 200 meters. This was at the European Junior Championships in Thessaloniki, Greece. He also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay. A year later, he won silver medals in both sprints at the 1992 World Junior Championships. He also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay. He was beaten in the individual races by Ato Boldon.

Darren first competed as a senior athlete in 1993. He was part of the 4 × 100 meter relay team at the World Championships. But he had some injuries. So, at age 21, he left athletics to try playing professional football. He had trials with several clubs like Plymouth Argyle and Newport County.

Back to the Track

Darren returned to athletics in 1995. He ran the 100 meters in 10.34 seconds that year. The next year, he improved his 100 meter time to 10.17 seconds. He represented Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. Campbell only ran in the 4 × 100 meter relay. But the team dropped the baton during the race.

At the 1997 World Championships, Darren won his first big senior medal. It was a bronze in the 4 × 100 meter relay. By this time, he was a regular member of the British team.

Darren's first senior gold medals came in 1998. This was at the European Championships in Budapest. He won the individual 100 meter race. He set his best time of 10.04 seconds in the final. He also won gold in the 4 × 100 meter relay. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games that year, Campbell helped his team break a championship record in the 4 × 100 meter relay.

In 1999, at the World Championships in Seville, Darren won a silver medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay.

Sydney Olympics Success (2000)

In 2000, Darren Campbell was named "man of the match" at the European Cup. He won the 100 meter race with very short notice. He also ran a leg in the winning 4 × 100 meter relay team.

At the Olympics in Sydney, Darren finished 6th in the 100 meter final. He then won a surprise silver medal in the 200 meters. This was a surprise because he usually focused on the 100 meters. He ran his fastest 200 meter race ever, finishing in 20.13 seconds. He then ran 20.14 seconds in the final to win silver.

Challenges and Triumphs (2001–2006)

Darren faced injuries in 2001 and missed most of the year's races. He had been named captain for the European Cup before his injury.

After recovering, Darren won bronze in the 100 meters in 2002. He also won gold in the 4 × 100 meter relay at the European Championships. His bronze medal was later changed to a silver. However, the relay gold was later taken away. This happened because a teammate in the relay team was found to have broken rules.

In 2002, Darren also competed in his home town of Manchester at the Commonwealth Games. He won a bronze medal in the 200 meters. He also helped the team win gold in the 4 × 100 meter relay. They just beat Jamaica in a very close race.

In 2003, at the Paris World Championships, Darren won bronze in the 100 meters. He finished fourth in the 200 meters, just missing a medal. He also ran for the 4 × 100 meter relay team. But this medal was also later lost due to a teammate's rule breaking.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Darren won a fantastic gold medal in the 4 × 100 meter relay. His team, with Jason Gardener, Marlon Devonish, and Mark Lewis-Francis, beat the USA team by a tiny amount. They won in their best time of the season, 38.07 seconds. Darren did not do as well in the individual 100 meters and 200 meters. He was still recovering from a hamstring injury.

In 2005, he was named captain for the European Cup. He also received an MBE honor.

Darren competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He did not reach the final in the 200 meters. The England relay team was also out of the race due to a mistake in passing the baton. He did not run individually at the European Championships. But he helped Britain win the gold medal in the 4 x 100 relay.

Medal Issues and Retirement

On 13 August 2006, after winning the 4 × 100 meter European relay gold medal, Darren left the track without celebrating with his teammates. He later explained that he was upset because he had lost two relay medals. These were the 2002 European Championships gold and 2003 World Championships silver. This happened because a teammate had broken rules.

Darren Campbell announced his retirement on 18 August 2006. His last race was at the Celtic Cup in Grangemouth. He won the 100 meters there.

In July 2007, Darren became an ambassador for Sky Sports Living for Sport. This program helps young people through sports. Darren shares his experiences to inspire them to reach their full potential.

Coaching After Racing

Darren is highly respected in the world of football. He has given training sessions to top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Everton. He is known as a specialist in speed and quick starts.

He has also worked with professional rugby clubs. He helped teams like Sale Sharks and Saracens improve their players' power and speed.

Personal Bests

Darren Campbell was known for performing well in big championships. Even though his fastest times were not the absolute quickest, he often beat rivals who had faster personal bests. This helped him win many medals at major events. He was also a very reliable relay runner. His medal record includes Olympic gold and silver, and World Championship silver and bronze. This makes him one of Britain's most successful sprinters.

• All information taken from IAAF profile.

Achievements

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing  Great Britain and  England
1991	European Junior Championships	Thessaloniki, Greece	1st	100 m	10.46
			1st	200 m	20.61
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	39.86
1992	World Junior Championships	Seoul, South Korea	2nd	100 m	10.46 (0.0 m/s)
			2nd	200 m	20.87 (+0.3 m/s)
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	39.21
1996	European Cup	Madrid, Spain	3rd	4 × 100 m relay	38.67
	Olympic Games	Atlanta, USA	–	4 × 100 m relay	DNF
1997	World Championships	Athens, Greece	16th (sf)	100 m	10.37
			3rd	4 × 100 m relay	38.14
1998	European Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	100 m	10.04
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.52
	Commonwealth Games	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	5th	100 m	10.08
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.20
1999	World Championships	Seville, Spain	10th (sf)	100 m	10.15
			2nd	4 × 100 m relay	37.73 (AR)
	European Cup	Paris, France	1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.16
2000	Summer Olympics	Sydney, Australia	6th	100 m	10.13
			2nd	200 m	20.14
	European Cup	Gateshead, United Kingdom	1st	100 m	10.09 w
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.41
2002	European Championships	Munich, Germany	2nd	100 m	10.15
			4th (h)	200 m	20.661
			–	4 × 100 m relay	DQ
	Commonwealth Games	Manchester, United Kingdom	3rd	200 m	20.21
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.62
2003	World Championships	Paris, France	3rd	100 m	10.08
			4th	200 m	20.39
			–	4 × 100 m relay	DQ
	European Cup	Florence, Italy	3rd	4 × 100 m relay	38.60
2004	Olympic Games	Athens, Greece	36th (h)	100 m	10.35
			15th (sf)	200 m	20.89
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.07
2006	Commonwealth Games	Melbourne, Australia	14th (h)	200 m	20.94 (w)1
			–	4 × 100 m relay	DNF
	European Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.91

¹Disqualified in the quarterfinals

Besides these, Darren Campbell won seven national titles in the 100 or 200 meters during his career.

Fun Facts

Darren Campbell was a childhood friend of the comedy personality Karl Pilkington. Karl once joked that he helped train Darren by letting him push a go-kart with Karl in it! Darren later thanked Karl in a tweet.

Darren also appeared on children's TV. He was a guest presenter on the game show Best of Friends in 2008. He also took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.

He is also a dog breeder. He breeds different types of dogs, including Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Border Collies.

Images for kids

• 

  Darren Campbell in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Darren Campbell para niños