Sally’s world medal tilt

SALLY Pearson believes winning a medal at next week’s London world championships would go down as one of her greatest achievements.

The 2012 Olympic hurdles champion is returning to the scene of her career highlight with renewed excitement after fighting her way back from two years of injury problems.

Pearson, 30, hasn’t competed at a major championships since she won the 100m hurdles gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

But after an impressive return to the international scene – her season’s best 12.48sec makes her the third fastest in the world this year – has the 2011 world champion right back in the mix.

“I have to be fair on myself and remember where I have come from, remember what I have been through with wrists, achilles, hamstrings, all of that in a short space of time,” Gold Coast’s Pearson said.

“But at the same time I am a competitor so what do I choose? Do I choose to be fair on myself and just say, ‘Just go out there and enjoy it’, yet my other side is going, ‘You are going out there to win’.

“I would love, deep down, I would love a medal.

“I really would love a medal. I know you really want me to say gold but that’s what I want, I would love a medal and I think that would be a huge success. Any colour, that would be a huge success.”

Pearson’s season-best time came at last month’s London Diamond League meet in the Olympic Stadium where she has great memories.

“That stadium is incredible and as you know after all these years, I thrive off that excitement,” she said.

“Strangely it is my comfort zone. Knowing that I have achieved in this stadium before and knowing I’m coming back again, probably not as the favourite to win but certainly a contender to at least medal or make a final or whatever – that sits well with me.

“But it’s going to be hard, it’s going to be one of the hardest races that I have ever done in my whole career even harder than going for gold in London (2012).”

Pearson started self-coaching in August last year during the Rio Olympics which she missed because of hamstring/ achilles injury.

An impressive national championships in Sydney in April showed she was on the right track with the London Diamond League result the confirmation she needed.

“London gave me the confidence that I needed to go into the world championships to be a contender,” she said.

The heats of the 100m hurdles are on the morning of Friday August 11 with the semifinals that night.

I KNOW YOU REALLY WANT ME TO SAY GOLD BUT THAT’S WHAT I WANT, I WOULD LOVE A MEDAL AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HUGE SUCCESS ... SALLY PEARSON