It’s long haul Sally
Off the plane from UK and on to the track to win the hurdles final
SALLY Pearson says that her “tentative’’ winning Queensland titles run yesterday is no indication of how advanced she is in her world championships bid.
Pearson won the 100m hurdles final at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in a time of 13.57sec into a 0.9m/ sec headwind.
Pearson, like all of Australia’s London world titles hopefuls, has until July to post a 100m hurdles world titles qualifying time of 12.98, but is confident she will do it “in the next few races’’.
The race-hungry Gold Coast star had finished her European indoor tour only seven days earlier and was competing after a long-haul flight in circumstances when many an Australian athlete would be having the weekend off.
England’s Karla Drew was second in 13.75 in a four woman final which was Pearson’s first 100m hurdles race in 10 months.
“It was a very tentative run. It was good to get a whole race out, but it doesn’t mean anything,’‘ Pearson said.
“My time today is not a reflection of what sort of shape I am in. My body was a bit sore and I’m glad I finished it.
“I was pretty disappointed with how my body was going this week after I got off the plane (from England). It was pretty slow for me ...”
The self-coached Pearson ran in four 60m contests over the sticks in Europe earlier this month, placing third each time. The London Olympics champion plans to next compete on Sunday week in Canberra, at which she would have more national competition.
“We have a long time to qualify. I could have done it today but my body wasn’t allowing me to,’’ she said.
The national titles are in Sydney from March 26-April 2.