Sally Pearson will play an official role mentoring Australia’s athletes

Athletics legend Sally Pearson will take on an official role with Athletics Australia in the lead-up to Tokyo and beyond

Former Olympian Sally Pearson will mentor Australia’s rising stars in athletics Picture: Peter Wallis

Australian athletics legend Sally Pearson is set to play a key role with the track and field team in the lead-up to next year’s Tokyo Olympics and beyond after being appointed as part of a new-look structure that will also include fellow Olympian Leisel Jones.

Athletics Australia confirmed the strengthening of their ranks on Wednesday, Pearson accepting a position as technical athlete consultant where she will be charged with driving high-performance culture and outcomes for selected athletes.

Jones, currently studying psychology, will mentor athletes and support the Australian athletics team on and off the track. Former head of high-performance systems Andrew Faichneywill move into the role of high performance general manager.

Pearson is one of Australia’s most decorated athletes, having won gold and silver medals at the Olympics, world championships and Commonwealth Games.

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She retired last year, saying at the time that her body had decided it was time to move in another direction. She gave birth to her daughter Ruby earlier this year but athletics has again come calling and Pearson is set to take up a long-term role that will allow her to pass on her knowledge and wisdom to the Australia’s new and emerging athletics stars.

“For some time, I have felt a strong purpose in helping to inspire the next generation of athletes in Australia,” Pearson said.
“I’m really looking forward to this high-performance position. It will provide me with another platform to influence the emerging and elite athletes included in the sport’s national program.”

Athletics Australia chief executive Darren Gocher said: “Athletics Australia also recognises the importance of supporting athletes from both a technical and wellbeing perspective, which is why Sally and Leisel will work closely with our high-performance athletes.

“Sally has and will always be part of the Australian athletics family, but I’m particularly excited to have her join us in this new capacity. What Sally brings is a high-performance mentality and culture to the role, which will benefit our athletes.

“I’m also looking forward to seeing Leisel contribute to the success of our team. Her background in psychology coupled with her clear understanding of the highs and lows that come with being an elite athlete, means our athletes will have professional support to lean on.”

Australia has a handful of medal hopefuls heading into Tokyo led by javelin world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber and high jumper Brandon Starc. Barber has already been named on the team for next year’s Olympics along with walker Dane Bird-Smith, distance runners Jessica Hull and Stewart McSweyn, and race walker Jemima Montag.

High jumper Nicola McDermott also marked herself as a medal contender with a series of outstanding performances in Europe in recent months. Fellow high jumper Eleanor Patterson is also a medal contender.

Pearson, who has posted images on social media in recent weeks working out on the running track, is set to become a sounding board to those and other athletes in an official capacity with Athletics Australia.

Her appointment is even more important given the recent decision by head of high performance and coaching Christian Malcolm to return to England to take up a role as head coach of UK Athletics.

Malcolm had only been with Athletics Australia for 18 months and Gocher has begun the search for his successor, targeting an Australian if possible. The sense of urgency around that decision has no doubt been eased given Pearson is about to come board.

Australia has had few track and field athletes in its history with a resume that can match the 34-year-old, who was self-coached for parts of her career. She made her international debut at the world junior championships and won gold in the 100m hurdles and then represented Australia as a 16-year-old in the relay at the 2003 world championships in Paris.

Thereafter, she won a procession of medals at Commonwealth Games, world championships and Olympic Games. She also showed resilience and mental strength to overcome an horrific wrist injury in 2015 and her withdrawal from the 2016 Rio Olympics to win the world championships in 2017.

Pearson was then captain of the athletics team at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and after she was forced with withdraw due to an achilles problem, she stayed with the team to act as a mentor.

She was a multiple Athletics Australia female athlete of the year, renowned for her mental strength, competitive spirit and work ethic.

It is those areas, as well as her training expertise, that Athletics Australia hope to tap into initially in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics, and thereafter as they prepare for subsequent major meets.