Pearson embraces a packed schedule
ROGER Federer and Valentino Rossi in a few weeks’ time.
Another showdown with old rivals from the US in early March.
And the best the Commonwealth has to offer in April.
Now back on top of the world, hurdles queen Sally Pearson will face some formidable and varied opposition in the next couple of months. She can’t wait.
The 31-year-old is in prime form and fitness, as evidenced by two slick times last weekend at the Queensland titles.
The Gold Coaster is set to rubber-stamp her spot on the Commonwealth Games team at the trials in mid-February before jetting off to Europe.
A third straight Commonwealth 100m hurdles title in April – and a first on home soil – is high on the agenda.
The March 1-4 world indoor championships in Birmingham is Pearson’s other big on-field priority for 2018 where she is sure to face several crack American hurdlers.
But before that is the glitz and glamour of the Laureus World Sport Awards in Monaco on February 27 where the Queenslander has been nominated for comeback of the year after overcoming three straight seasons plagued by injuries to win a second world championships title.
Pearson would be a worthy Laureus winner but you could also make a pretty good case for Federer, who won the 2017 Australian Open after a sixmonth injury layoff in a year where he also claimed an eighth Wimbledon title.
Or MotoGP supremo Rossi, who just happens to be the alltime sporting hero of Pearson’s rev-head husband Kieran.
“(Kieran) will probably be so excited that he might get down and propose to him,” joked Pearson.
“Also being up against Roger Federer, he’s pretty much what sport means, and when you watch him play, it’s just absolutely incredible how he handles himself.
“It’s a huge honour to be up against names like that.”
After coaching herself to a world title in London, Pearson finds it hard to split that victory and her 2012 Olympic crown when asked to name the pinnacle of her career.
“The few years after (the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games) was pretty hard with physical injuries and then you’ve got mental scarring because you just are so upset and so down on yourself that you have to figure out a way to get out of that,” she said.
“London 2017 was more of a different story than anything, and it was a different time in my career.”