Flattering, but not a new thing

Brooks said she was flattered to be spoken of in the same breath as the former Jamaican sprint queen, who now competes for Slovenia, but revealed that the comments were not a new thing.

"Everybody says 'Sheri-Ann, you look like Merlene,' everybody," Brooks was quoted as saying on the Voice of Sport website.

"Everywhere I go people say you run like Merlene, you look like Merlene and you're shaped like her too. It’s a good feeling to know that you look like and run like somebody that is that famous, it’s a very good feeling. She is my role model."

Hard work paid off

Following her 11.19 second personal best run to win her first global title in her freshman year as a professional athlete, Brooks is confident that her victory will open the eyes of all track and field followers and added that her sensational performance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was the result of her determination to win a medal.

"It (the gold medal) means a lot to me," Brooks said. "This was my first Commonwealth Games. Nobody really knew Sheri-Ann Brooks but as of now they will, trust me. I wasn't nervous, I wanted to get a medal.

"My training paid off, everything paid off. I concentrated on my race and I ran my race. I know it was a surprise for everybody but that's what I wanted to do, surprise everybody and make my country proud."

Despite failing to snatch the sprint double after finishing fifth in 23.07sec, Brooks ran a scorching second leg to help Jamaica to a gold medal in the women's 4x100m relay in 43.10.

The team also included Daniele Browning Peta-Gaye Dowdie and 200m champion Sherone Simpson.

In addition to Brooks' title, Asafa Powell, as expected, bagged the men 100m title, Simpson upset Olympic champion Veronica Campbell to win the women's 200m and Omar Brown won the men's race as Jamaica completely dominated the sprint events at the Games.