 Lewis-Francis will take the blame for the baton mistake |
Team England crashed out of the men's 4x100m relay heats at the Commonwealth Games after a costly baton error. The quartet of Andrew Turner, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Mark Lewis-Francis failed to finish as Canada and South Africa qualified.
England had been leading until the final leg when Lewis-Francis failed to take the baton cleanly from Devonish.
Afterwards, an impassioned Campbell admitted criticisms made about the mis-firing sprinters were justified.
While BBC pundit and long-time critic Michael Johnson said the mess - which came on the back of 100 & 200m failure - showed British sprinting had finally reached rock bottom and called for an overhaul of a system he claimed "rewards mediocrity" and blunts athletes hunger.
A frustrated Campbell said: "At the end of the day maybe we all need to 'man up'."
"It's time for us all to step up. Maybe we have ridden a bit on the back of the Olympics, so to be honest this is a reality check for everyone and now there can be no more excuses."
Campbell, who clashed with Johnson at the Olympics after the former 400m champion questioned his performance in Athens, admitted Johnson may be justified in some of his criticisms.
"Maybe Michael Johnson has a point. At the end of the day, this Championship is all messed up. Like he said, would winning this relay have glossed over problems we have got?"
But Campbell also said he felt former gold medallists like Johnson should do more to help young talent.
 The mistake between Devonish and Lewis-Francis proved costly |
"It would be nice if Michael Johnson came down to help some of the youngsters develop because I tell you I cannot do this by myself."
Johnson, in the BBC studio again to cover the Commonwealth Games athletics, told viewers:
"I'm no coach but I can consult, so I don't have a problem with that.
"I appreciate Darren's statements and you can see the frustration on his face. He's saying there are no more excuses and it's true.
"We keep thinking we have reached the bottom but then we find a new bottom. But I think now we have reached the last bottom possible.
"So when Darren Campbell, the elder statesman of the team who has been criticial of my comments and said I need to be more positive, says 'they're right'....
"What Darren realises is that there are athletes coming up and they have great talent but if they come up through this system it's going to be the same thing."
Johnson said the British athletics system was fundamentally flawed because athletes "lost their hunger".
"It rewards Britain's best, not world best."
 Johnson in the BBC studio at the MCG |
He said drastic changes needed to be made because the system was "rewarding mediocrity".
"As American athletes we were often envious of the support you get in Britain but at the same time it can hurt you because these athletes have the celebrity status and the sponsorship the all the things we have to work so hard for in America.
"So these athletes have it before they have done anything at all.
"You take those athletes and as much as they've accomplished in the 4x100m relay no-one gets into this sport to be a relay gold medallist.
"They all grew up wanting to be champion and somewhere along the line that was lost. But now they're satisfied with being a relay medallist. So the standard has dropped. Linford Christie never wanted to be a relay gold medallist."
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These athletes have the celebrity status and the sponsorship the all the things we have to work so hard for in America - they have it before they have done anything at all
