It was gold and silver, two Oceania records, and third on the medal table for Australia on day two of the IAAF World Indoor Championships when Sally Pearson (Qld) claimed the 60mH title and Henry Frayne (Qld) took silver in the long jump.

Pearson ensured her spot in the final with a comfortable win of 7.93 in the first semi-final, while Alina Talay (BLR) was the only other athlete to break the eight-second barrier when she ran 7.99 in the second semi.

Then in the final Pearson came out all guns blazing and clocked a joint fourth fastest time on record of 7.73, which is also the world lead in 2012. Tiffany Ofili-Porter (GBR), who finished fourth to the Australian in Daegu, came second in 7.94 while Talay took bronze.

Pearson said: “I’m so excited, I was so nervous for that race. I was nervous but then I was trying to stay calm so that I wouldn’t jump the start. Then I wanted to get a fantastic start because my semi final was yuck, I hated it. It’s such a relief that it’s done and with that time. I’m glad that I won with a good time.

“It’s only my fourth hurdles race indoors, so I think that I did pretty well. Considering my first one was three years ago.

“The girls out there are just incredible so you don’t know what they are going to do and so you just have to make sure that you are right on your game. I have to be at my best to be that far ahead of them.”

Little did she know it but Pearson’s final and lap of honour went on to inspire Frayne to silver in the long jump.

Frayne had a solid start on his major championship final debut in the event, when he leapt to 8.17m, which is the same distance Fabrice Lapierre (NSW) won the title in two years ago.

Aleksandr Menkov (RUS) took the lead in the second round with 8.22m, which put Frayne into silver position. The 21-year-old maintain that spot for the next two rounds, of which he fouled, before Mauro Vinicius Da Silva (BRA) leapt to 8.23m at his fifth attempt.

It was a distance the Brazilian repeated in the last round, which is when Frayne, with the penultimate jump of the competition, also hit 8.23m. Da Silva took gold on countback, with Frayne ensuring the silver and Menkov in bronze.

Frayne said: “That was overwhelming. I didn’t know if it was going to come, I was feeling a bit flat after three fouls and then a 7.89. I was starting to think I’d spent all my big hits in that first round with 8.17 and then the second foul.

“But then I saw Sally run, and she ran past me. She timed it well, she finished the race, and I got pumped about two people before I had to jump. Then she did a run-by just as I was about to go and then I had the crowd all to myself so it was just the perfect combination to pull a decent jump from a tired body.”

The action continues tomorrow with Alana Boyd (WA) in the pole vault and Craig Mottram (Vic) in the 3000m.

Athletics Australia