Sally uses Bolt’s farewell as world title preparation

Sally Pearson will include Usain Bolt’s farewell meet in Jamaica as part of her preparation for this year’s world titles.

Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson

Olympic gold medallist Sally Pearson will include Usain Bolt’s farewell meet in Jamaica as part of her preparation for this year’s world championships in London.

Pearson leaves for Europe today for a quick international tour in which she hopes to re-establish her international competitiveness in the 100m hurdles after two injury-plagued years which ruled her out of the major championships.

She will open at the Manchester City Games on May 26, then go on to the Boston Games on June 4 and finish at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica on June 10, which will serve as a tribute to Bolt, who intends to retire after the world titles in August.

She will then return to the Gold Coast for another training block before going to England in time for the London Diamond League meet on July 9.

Pearson said yesterday that she was confident that she would perform well after a strong domestic season in which she won back the national 100m hurdles title in a smart time of 12.53sec (wind-assisted).

It is the fastest time in the world so far this year, just a touch quicker than new world record-holder Kendra Harrison’s 12.54sec last month and a strong indicator that 30-year-old Pearson will be a contender again this year.

“At the moment everything’s going really well, I’m actually quite excited this year because I know that I’m in good shape and I know that good things are to come,” she said.

“The competitions that are coming up are part of that preparation, so it’s a matter of making sure I peak at that right time ... everything else leading up to that is really important.”

The woman who beat Pearson for the 2013 world title, American Brianna Rollins, will not be among her rivals after she was suspended for one year for missing three drug tests in 12 months.

Meanwhile, the Australian team of up to 100 athletes will train on Pearson’s home track at the Runaway Bay Super Centre ahead of next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.