Sally Pearson’s Olympic campaign hinges on five-week training block on Gold Coast
SALLY Pearson’s Olympic campaign hinges on a five-week training block at home after the defending hurdles champion delivered three below-par results in Europe.
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SALLY Pearson’s Olympic campaign hinges on a five-week training block on the Gold Coast.
The defending 100m hurdles champion cut short a stint in Europe after three below-par results, preferring to concentrate on regaining fitness at her home base.
Pearson knew she would struggle in her return to the track after a year on the sidelines but was concerned with how far off she was speed-wise compared to her opponents.
The 2011 world champion was scheduled to race current world leader Kendra Harrison at the Stockholm Diamond League meet on Thursday night.
After finishing last in a Diamond League meet in Norway on Thursday, Pearson and her coach Ashley Mahoney decided to cut short the race program in favour of an intense fitness regimen.
That was the 29-year-old’s third race in six days but it was another disappointing time of 13.14sec behind America’s 2013 world champion Brianna Rollins (12.56sec).
Pearson hadn’t raced for a year after breaking her wrist in June last year until her return at the Diamond League meet in Birmingham where she clocked 13.25sec.
She then backed up two days later at a small meet in Paris where she recorded an improved 12.92sec.
While the broken wrist forced her to miss last year’s world championships, Pearson was also hampered by an achilles problem which meant she missed Australia’s domestic season.
That issue led Pearson to make an emergency journey halfway around the world to consult with Usain Bolt’s doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt in March.
It’s understood she had another check-up his German clinic last week and got the all-clear.
Pearson has maintained her history of coming back from adversity means she can get back to being near her best in time for the Rio Games.
In 2013 and 2014 she suffered hamstring problems on the eve of major championships yet still made it back onto the medal dais.
The Australian team captain isn’t the only big name facing a race against time with Steve Solomon still yet to record a qualifying time for Rio.
A finalist in the 400m at the London Games, Solomon was unlucky in his first race in Europe on the weekend with poor conditions in Geneva.
He finished third in 46.36sec and has to get under the Olympic qualifying time of 45.40sec before July 12 to gain selection.
American-based long-jumper Mitchell Watt, who finished second in London four years ago, is also attempting a last-ditch effort to get to Rio.
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