SYDNEY: Australia’s Sally Pearson is finding her rhythm again after returning from a hamstring injury and is confident she is on track to defend her sprint hurdles title at the World Championships next month, the Olympic champion said.
The 26-year-old Queenslander suffered a hamstring tear in a 4x100m relay at the Asian Grand Prix Athletic Championship in Sri Lanka in May after missing the domestic season with the same injury.
She made a winning return in the Czech Republic last month but lacked her usual speed between the barriers and was fourth in a strong 100 hurdles field at the IAAF Diamond League event in Birmingham on Sunday.
“I can definitely run faster than what I did in Birmingham. I feel like my rhythm is starting to come back so that’s a good thing, and anything around 12.6 would be nice,” Pearson said in an Athletics Australia statement.
“I haven’t come into this season with too many expectations, but we have made some changes to my programming with a few extra races added to prepare for the World Championships and I’m confident the time will start to come down.”
Pearson said she is trying to stay patient.
“I’m surprised by how I am dealing with this situation, I thought I would be a lot more anxious than I am,” she said.
“I’m really happy and relaxed and that’s probably because I have already done what I am trying to do this year. I’ve won the world title, I’ve won the Olympic title and all I want now is the world record but I know that I would be asking too much of myself after the year so far,” she said.
REUTERS
