Australia's Sally Pearson tells skysports.com about her redemption at the Commonwealths.
Pearson tells skysports.com about her redemption in India
After enduring the most heartbreaking experience of her career, Australia's Sally Pearson bounced back three days later to claim Commonwealth 100m hurdles glory in scintillating and emotional style.
The 24-year-old's 12.67 winning time was an extra-sweet achievement for the Sydney-born athlete, as it provided the ultimate redemption following her disqualification in the 100m final in the most insensitive of manners.
Having crossed the finish-line in first place, the Olympic silver-medallist was only told of her barring after celebrating her lap of honour and as she prepared to collect her gold medal.
The Australian and Oceanian record-holder's result was protested by the English team - whose Katherine Endacott was eventually promoted to silver - following an apparent false-start alongside England's Laura Turner.
Pearson, whose mother is from Kent, explained at the time: "I'm just numb right now, I don't really know what I feel. I'm obviously devastated and disappointed. I was told I was in the clear. I was told all sorts of different stories.
"I was never once told the truth or told what was going on. I don't think that was fair. This is our careers. To have run the race, do the victory lap and told everything's OK, then told you can't have the medal... I have to deal with it."
Deal with it she did and in phenomenal style, too, storming to one of the performances of the championship in Delhi to collect her first Commonwealth gold at the third time of trying - the first being in Melbourne 2006 where she tripped over a hurdle and finished last in the final.
After scorching away from the field in dominant and determined fashion, the sprinter fell to her knees sobbing with relief, as the emotion poured out after realising what she had achieved amidst such adversity during her time in India.
Speaking afterwards, Pearson revealed: "It's my first real title and it won't get taken away from me.
Disappointment
"It's the most amazing feeling. I vowed to try my hardest, stay focused on what I had to do and I had the race of my life. I just went for it. I didn't hold back.
"It's been the hardest week of my life really, I don't know how I was able to overcome the 100m disappointment but I just thought I had to block it out of my mind. As soon as I crossed the finish line in the hurdles it all just came welling up again, it all came out, but it was good, I came here to win the hurdles and I did."
Further proving what a fighter she really is and attracting much praise from her team-mates, coach and indeed her country, Pearson returned to the track the following day to help the Australian 4x400m relay squad finish fifth.
Running a commendable 52.6 split, Pearson again ran her heart out despite having only ever trained for the 100m distance and in the wake of her blistering effort, required a full 20 minutes to recover on the track before being carried away.
Such nerves of steel and a gutsy week of performances sum up Pearson perfectly. After making her international debut at 16 with gold at the World Youth championships in Canada in 2002, she went onto represent her nation in the 4x100m relay at the 2003 World Championships in Paris and took World Junior bronze over 100m the following season.
Four years later and now an established senior athlete, Pearson's breakthrough came in the Beijing Olympics where she placed runner-up over the hurdles in 12.64, before finishing fifth in the World Championships in Berlin last year after suffering from ongoing back issues.
"My back was spasming a lot before Berlin last year so I was out for eight months with a muscle tear," Pearson revealed.
"It was getting worse all the time, it kept coming back during training so it was an up and down season for me last year but I eventually got back after doing everything I could with physiotherapy."
However, 2010 will certainly be a year Pearson won't forget in a hurry.
"I'm pretty excited by how the year's gone," Pearson explained.
"I've been taking it one race at a time, trying not to get too excited until the season ended. Stockholm was the turning point this year - I hadn't run 12.5 for over a year so it told me where I was fitness-wise, it was really exciting to start the season off so well and to also be consistent throughout the season more than anything.
"Winning the Continental Cup (in Split last month) was great and of course, Delhi."
