(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaican athletes Simoya Campbell and Javon Gallimore this morning collapsed and had been taken to hospital to receive medical attention.
The first sign that there was a problem came when Simoya Campbell did not show up for heat one of the women’s 800 metres semi-final.
When coach Michael Dyke was contacted, he revealed that Campbell had complained of not feeling well.
Team leader, Julette Parkes, later confirmed that Campbell was at the hospital with team doctor Lincoln Cox.
“She had her breakfast and was coming down with coach Kirk Douglas when she collapsed,” Parkes said.
“She complained of not feeling well at around 8:30 a.m (1:30 am. Jamaica time). She said her head was hurting her and (so) she put her head down in the bus and by the time they got to the stop they had to take her off and get her in an ambulance.”
Cox said Campbell who was at Hospital Delmar, might have suffered a cerebral seizure.
“She was trying to say something, but her words were not very clear,” Cox said.
“They are doing some more tests and I am waiting to have a discussion with them.”
After competing in the heats of the 800m on Tuesday, Campbell complained of not feeling well.
Meanwhile, shortly after 400 metres hurdles athlete Javon Gallimore and Shavon Barnes qualified for the semi-finals of their event, Gallimore had to be helped onto a stretcher and rushed to hospital.
“He was fine and then as soon as we got in the sun he started getting dizzy and said he felt weak; then he fainted. I had to lift him up and signal the medical persons,” Barnes related.
The medical personnel revealed that Gallimore’s blood sugar level was fine, but he might have suffered a heat stroke.
Following his second place finish in heat four of the 400m hurdles, Gallimore had revealed that has been struggling with the flu.
“It has been rough, but I keep taking the vitamin C and it is helping,” Gallimore had said.
