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 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2000 Sydney 200 m World Championships Silver 1999 Sevilla 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 1997 Athens 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 2003 Paris 100 m European Championships Gold 1998 Budapest 100 m Gold 1998 Budapest 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2006 Gothenburg 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2002 Munich 100 m Commonwealth Games Gold 1998 Kuala Lumpur 4 × 100 m relay Gold 2002 Manchester 4 × 100 m relay Bronze 2002 Manchester 200 m

Darren Andrew Campbell, who has an MBE award, is a British former sprint athlete. He was born on September 12, 1973. He ran in the 100 metres and 200 metres races. He also competed in the 4 × 100 metres relay team events.

Darren Campbell was a very good young athlete. He won many medals at junior championships around the world and in Europe. He took a break from athletics for two years to play professional football. But he returned to running in 1995. He then went to his first Olympic Games soon after.

He became a regular part of the British 4 × 100 metre relay team. Between 1997 and 2000, he won two World Championship medals. He also earned a gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games. His team even set a new European record in the relay event.

Darren also found success in individual races. He became the European Champion in the 100 metres in 1998. He won his first Olympic medal, a silver, in the 200 metres at the 2000 Sydney Games. In the 100 metres, 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 most successful relay teams. They won the European Cup in 1999 and 2000. They also won at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. The team took home the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. This was the first time a British team had won this event since 1912.

Some of his medals were later taken back due to a teammate's issue. Darren Campbell won his last medal in 2006. It was another relay gold at the European Championships. He retired from running shortly after that.

Even though his fastest times were not the quickest globally, Darren Campbell 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, he works with different Premier League football clubs. He helps players improve their sprinting skills. He also visits schools to encourage children to get involved in sports. He does this for the Youth Sport Trust. In September 2024, he joined a sports technology company called Feldspar. He helps develop and test new high-performance running tracks.

Darren Campbell's Athletics Journey

Starting Out in Sports

Darren Campbell grew up in Sale, Cheshire. As a young person, he was good at both athletics and football. His first big win in athletics was a gold medal in the 200 metres at the English Schools Championships.

In 1991, he won gold medals in both the 100 metres and 200 metres at the European Junior Championships in Greece. He also won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre relay. The next year, in 1992, he won silver medals in both sprint races at the World Junior Championships. He also got a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre relay.

Darren first competed as a senior athlete at the World Championships in 1993. He was part of the 4 × 100 metre relay team. However, because of injuries, he left athletics at age 21. He tried to start a career in professional football.

Returning to Running

Campbell came back to athletics in 1995. He ran the 100 metres in 10.34 seconds that year. In 1996, he improved his 100 metres time to 10.17 seconds. He represented Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA. He only ran in the 4 × 100 metre relay, but the team had a problem with the baton exchange.

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

His first senior gold medals came at the 1998 European Championships in Budapest. Campbell won the individual 100 metres race, setting his best time of 10.04 seconds. He also won gold in the 4 × 100 metre relay. At the 1998 Commonwealth Games that year, his team broke the championship record for the 4 × 100 metre relay.

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

Olympic Success in Sydney (2000)

In 2000, Darren Campbell was named "man of the match" at the European Cup. This was after he won the 100 metres race. He also helped the 4 × 100 metre relay team win.

At the Olympics in Sydney, Campbell finished 6th in the 100 metres final. He then won a surprising silver medal in the 200 metres. This was a big achievement because he usually focused on the 100 metres. He ran his fastest 200 metres time ever, 20.13 seconds, in the quarter-final.

Challenges and Triumphs (2001-2006)

Darren faced injuries again in 2001, missing most of the year's competitions. After recovering, he won a bronze medal in the 100 metres and gold in the 4 × 100 metre relay at the 2002 European Championships. His bronze medal was later changed to a silver. However, the relay gold was later taken back due to a teammate's issue.

In 2002, Campbell also competed in his home city of Manchester at the Commonwealth Games. He won a bronze medal in the 200 metres. He also helped the 4 × 100 metre relay team win gold. They narrowly beat the Jamaican team in a very close finish.

In 2003, at the Paris World Championships, Campbell won a bronze medal in the 100 metres. He finished fourth in the 200 metres final, just missing a medal. He also ran in the 4 × 100 metre relay team, but this medal was later taken back due to a teammate's issue.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Campbell won a gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre relay. His team, which included Jason Gardener, Marlon Devonish, and Mark Lewis-Francis, beat the USA team by a tiny amount, just 0.01 seconds. This was a big surprise win.

In 2005, he was named captain for the European Cup. He also received an MBE award. Campbell competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. He did not compete individually at the European Championships in Gothenburg. However, he helped Britain win the gold medal in the 4 × 100 metre relay.

Retirement from Running

Darren Campbell announced his retirement from athletics on August 18, 2006. His last race was at the Celtic Cup in Grangemouth, where he won the 100 metres as a guest runner.

In July 2007, Campbell became an ambassador for Sky Sports Living for Sport. This program helps young people get involved in sports and stay in school. Darren visits schools to share his experiences and inspire students.

Coaching and Other Work

Football Coaching

Darren Campbell is highly respected in the world of football. He has given training sessions to famous clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Everton. He is known for helping players improve their speed and quickness. He also worked with MK Dons.

Rugby Coaching

He has also worked with several professional rugby clubs. These include Sale Sharks and Saracens. He helped their players develop more power and speed. He even worked with the famous rugby player Jonah Lomu.

Personal Life and Interests

Darren Campbell was a childhood friend of the English comedy personality Karl Pilkington. Pilkington has shared stories about their friendship on his podcasts. Campbell has also appeared as a guest presenter on the children's TV game show Best of Friends. He also took part in Celebrity MasterChef in 2011.

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

Images for kids

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  Darren Campbell in 2009

See also

In Spanish: Darren Campbell para niños