Pearson reaches superstardom with blistering run for gold

Written by: on 4th September 2011
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Sally Pearson was in tears before she crossed the line. She knew by then she had just become a world champion. Pearson has cleared a lot of hurdles, and she has cleared them very quickly. But last night she cleared the hurdle between champion and stardom.

Pearson is now officially the best hurdler in the world after winning gold in the women’s 100m at the World Athletics Championships in South Korea in almost world record time last night.

”As soon as I crossed the line, I knew I won. I didn’t even see the time,” Pearson said.

Sally Pearson reacts as she crosses the finish line to win the Women's 100m Hurdles at the World Athletics Championships.Sally Pearson in tears as she crosses the finish line to win the Women’s 100m Hurdles at the World Athletics Championships. Photo: AP

”I just saw yellow in the crowd [of the Australian team] and ran to it and started screaming.”

Pearson ran a phenomenal 12.28 seconds – just .07 seconds outside the word record.

A night after Mitchell Watt won a ”disappointing” silver in the long jump, on the same day Jared Tallent won a bronze in the 50km walk, Pearson provided the colour most sought. She became the first Australian to win gold here and the 10th to win an athletics world championship title.

Sally Pearson, on her way to winning the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles at the world athletics championships.Sally Pearson, on her way to winning the gold. Photo: AFP

”I said I was going to do a PB [personal best] in the final and I was making sure I was going to be doing that tonight,” she said. ”And someone said it was the fourth-fastest time in history so I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

That fourth-fastest time ever beat the 12.36s Pearson ran earlier in the night in the semi-final. It was Usain Bolt-like in the command she had over her rivals. She was well clear of runner-up American Danielle Carruthers.

Pearson was out of the blocks quickly and powerfully and had the lead by the first hurdle. All she needed to do was not hit a hurdle. She didn’t and she kept accelerating away from the field and then on to the Australian team in the stands at the head of the straight, arms outstretched, crying.

They ran to her, she hugged her crying mum, and was draped in a flag for a lap of honour.

”Gee, 12.28 is a really fast time,” Pearson said. ”I might not run faster again ever in my life but I hope I do.”

In the field, Australian Jarrod Bannister produced his best throw of the year – 82.25m – to finish seventh in the final of the javelin.

Meanwhile, the real Usain Bolt last night held his nerve, waited on the gun and duly atoned in part for his foolishness in sacrificing the 100m sprint by claiming the 200m gold.

Where he won the gold and broke the world record in the process in Berlin, this time Bolt was more measured, winning in a canter in a time of 19.40.

It was the first time in 24 years a man had successfully defended the 200m title.

HOW THEY FINISHED
1. Sally Pearson                    (AUS)  12.28 secs
2. Danielle Carruthers             (USA)  12.47
3. Dawn Harper                     (USA)  12.47
4. Tiffany Ofili-Porter             (GBR)  12.63
5. Tatyana Dektyareva          (RUS)  12.82
6. Nikkita Holder                   (CAN)  12.93
7. Phylicia George                 (CAN)  17.97
8. Kellie Wells                       (USA)  DNF


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