OLYMPIC gold medallist Darren Campbell believes Harrow's Laura Turner will benefit from the success of British rival Jeanette Kwakye as the countdown to the Beijing Games continues.

The Harrow AC sprinter found herself in Kwakye's shadow at the World Indoor Championships in March as the British No 2 clinched 60m silver, while Turner was left licking her wounds after a frustrating semi-final exit.

Kwakye's Valencia heroics suggest she is on the track for stardom, but it left Turner with a few questions to answer after she suffered a similar fate at the World Championships in 2007, just two months after she had missed out on the UK title.

But Campbell, who won sprint-relay gold and 200m silver in Athens four years ago, insists the 25-year-old is heading in the right direction, and will only improve as she continues to battle Kwakye for the British No 1 spot.

"The key for Laura is that she uses the rivalry positively," said Campbell - who is supporting the Norwich Union Community Sport Fund for the second successive year.

"One athlete can inspire the rest, especially if it's an athlete who sometimes you beat and sometimes they beat you - it shows you that you can step up to that level too.

"It's a knock on effect, and that's what happened in the men's sprint. The more successful Linford Christie got, the rest behind him thought, 'well maybe I can do that,' and it had that same effect on the sprinters who were my rivals.

"It's important that if the sport is too progress, you have an individual who's out there and can win medals, because

it really inspires the rest underneath them."

Despite her disappointments over the past 12 months, former Brunel University student Turner has enjoyed some highs, including helping Team GB to fourth place at the World Championships in Osaka.

Turner will make her Olympic bow this summer if, as expected, she qualifies via the UK trials in mid-July, and Campbell - who wore the Team GB vest at three separate Games - admitted there is no greater source of inspiration for an athlete.

"The Olympics should be the only inspiration an athlete needs," added Campbell.

"For me, whenever I was training, I just thought 'I'm training to be at the Olympic Games.' I had a plan and a dream from the age of 12 of going to the Olympic Games.

"I always took the European Championships, Commonwealth Games and the World Championships as stepping stones and, if you have a setback like Laura has had, then your focus only gets stronger."

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