Close menu

Commonwealth Games: Australia's Sally Pearson withdraws from Gold Coast 2018

Last updated on .From the section Commonwealth Gamescomments72

Sally Pearson
Sally Pearson announces her decision to withdraw from Gold Coast 2018

Sally Pearson, Australia's face of the Commonwealth Games, has withdrawn from Gold Coast 2018 because of injury.

The 31-year-old 100m hurdler, regarded as one of the hosts' gold-medal prospects, had been struggling with an Achilles problem.

Announcing her withdrawal, Pearson said she was "gutted, absolutely gutted, tears flowing, almost like grief with a numbness phase and a crying phase".

She added: "Not being able to run for Australia is gut-wrenching."

The Gold Coast native featured in the Games' opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Sally Pearson at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony
Pearson carried the Queen's baton at Wednesday's Commonwealth Games opening ceremony

Speaking at a news conference on Thursday, she said the decision to pull out was made a couple of days ago, when the injury flared up.

But she wanted to delay the announcement until after the opening ceremony, during which she carried the Queen's baton in the Carrara Stadium.

"I had a big role to play in the opening ceremony which is why I waited until today to make the announcement," said the 2012 Olympic champion.

"I did everything I possibly could. I left no stone unturned to run in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay."

The two-time world champion was composed throughout the news conference, and was aware some fans may feel let down.

"know I have a lot of fans who were wanting to watch me race. But for me, it is about my health and I want to go to Tokyo (Olympics) in 2020."

She said retirement was not on her mind and her focus was to be fully fit for the Olympic Games.

"This is not over for me," she said, adding that running in Tokyo was the "dream I hold on to, to finish my career the best way possible".

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

72 comments

  • Comment posted by phil, at 09:23 5 Apr 2018

    The Commonwealth has always been the games of fairness, good natured sporting prowess yet from so many comments on here you would think everyone is a cheat. When did we become a nation of haters and keyboard trolls?. This is such a sad and divided state and these HYS's just a breeding ground of horrible people who's hatred knows no bounds. So sad

  • Comment posted by U11086856, at 07:16 5 Apr 2018

    13 Serve and Enjoy

    Im sure the athletes who have worked hard to be there to represent their country wouldn't share your jaded interpretation.
    But if you have that opinion, then don't watch it.

  • Comment posted by kraken, at 07:39 5 Apr 2018

    The Commonwealth represents one quarter of the worlds population, and Countries join because they want to not because they are forced to. It is a great organisation, that does much unheralded work through out the World. For those who think it us old people who understand it, obviously have not visited any Commonwealth Countries

  • Comment posted by U11086856, at 07:20 5 Apr 2018

    9. Britain has gone to the dogs

    There we have it an opinion from a seasoned couch potato who prefers to criticise the work of others than do anything yourself.
    Pass the pizza

  • Comment posted by WPL, at 06:03 5 Apr 2018

    Injuries happen. What can you say? It is a shame, I fear that realistically, it was probably a last chance for another major medal. At the age of 31, an event like the high hurdles takes it's toll. Hope she gets fit soon. But I can't see her going on to win an Olympic medal at the age of 33. Distance running suits an older age. Not sprinting events.

  • Comment posted by U16870859, at 06:53 5 Apr 2018

    she will be around as a mentor for the athletes competing, this was no real surprise as for comment #6 you dont have to be competing to carry the baton

  • Comment posted by rellis, at 09:49 5 Apr 2018

    @34 "They should have an aboriginal athlete as the face of their games."

    Cathy Freeman lit the flame at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the face of the games then.

  • Comment posted by U15517150, at 08:30 5 Apr 2018

    Something like 20% of the global population watched the opening ceremony....just pointing that out to the armchair slobs who can only say something negative about the games instead of offering a bit of sympathy for an amazing athlete

  • Comment posted by Rob Kelly, at 12:26 5 Apr 2018

    @6 Guy Bailey,

    She comes from the Gold Coast and she's a multiple global champion they'd have asked her to carry the baton anyway, she was trying not to generate negative headlines.
    As for comparisons to admitted cheats, Sally Pearson is a sporting legend with an unblemished record the Aussies are rightly chastising their cricketers, she is nothing like them.

  • Comment posted by bobajiro, at 15:49 5 Apr 2018

    wow!; so many instances of "This comment was removed because it broke the house rules". How do you do that with such a straightforward article such as this.

    How can anyone feel anything but sadness for another human being who has had a huge disappointing setback. I hope she can get fit and recover.

  • Comment posted by Finkelstein, at 08:39 5 Apr 2018

    "Australia's Sally Pearson withdraws from Gold Coast 2018"

    Sad news that Pearson is out as she is a class hurdler and would have been the hot favourite by a margin.

    This is a big blow as Australia needs something to smile about after the terrible cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct of the national Cricket team.

  • Comment posted by Ricky, at 08:49 5 Apr 2018

    Sal golden girl complete opposite of their cheating cricketers, such a pity she is injured.

  • Comment posted by Squawksby, at 12:54 5 Apr 2018

    @54

    Hugo
    I think the bbc is showing plenty of live coverage unfortunately the bbc cant bring the continent of Australia to the Greenwitch meridian to fit in with your sleepy time.

  • Comment posted by lbradderz24, at 07:34 5 Apr 2018

    Sally is a legend, shame she won't be competing

  • Comment posted by Squawksby, at 11:10 5 Apr 2018

    wow this is like reading some of the F1 items that are opened to comments, almost surpassing some of the negativity and bile on there.

  • Comment posted by Colonel Sanders, at 10:04 5 Apr 2018

    Real shame for Sally Pearson. Let's hope she recovers in good time and can get on track to go to Tokyo.

  • Comment posted by U16740581, at 09:51 5 Apr 2018

    Amazing and dreadful attitude of A Brownlee - hadn't trained and "just enjoyed being out there" whose more deserving athlete's place did he take. Or do the brothers come as a pair

  • Comment posted by U16740581, at 09:48 5 Apr 2018

    Why does Clare Balding have to present everything. Instant turn off. So fed up with the BBCs sport presentation, tired and old fashioned.

  • Comment posted by Templar, at 09:31 5 Apr 2018

    rellis

    Maybe they should still give her a bronze like the woman boxer who is guaranteed...bronze without having to step in the ring because there are so few boxers....and she "won" a bye to semis. Would not be any more farcical .Yet Balding will no doubt be lauding any british women boxers success as a tremendous achievement.

    ---

    It would have been better if Ms Balding had dropped out

  • Comment posted by John, at 07:15 5 Apr 2018

    13.
    Posted by
    Serve and Enjoy
    on
    3 minutes ago
    Yup that's just how I feel about Negative comments Like yours, the TV link goes world wide its only couch potato's like you who are to lazy to get of your a**e and do something with your life that make these sort of comments. More of us enjoy sport more than Lazy b***rs like you.

Top Stories

Also in Sport