ATHLETICS: Sally Pearson says she's on track to return to racing late next month, and hopes to do so at a meet in Australia.
The reigning Olympic 100m hurdles champion hasn't competed since June last year due to serious wrist and Achilles injuries.
But after being named on the Australian athletics team for Rio on Sunday night, Pearson will continue her historic quest for back-to-back gold medals.
"We haven't got anything set in stone," she said.
"One of the reasons for that is because there hasn't been anything confirmed just yet, but it will be likely towards the end of May.
"I'm hoping it will be a local meet, but it is the wrong time of the season for Australian athletics so it's hard to put on meets at the drop of a hat with some clubs.
"It's just a matter of trying to find the location, putting on a competition and seeing if athletes will come."
Having recovered from a sickening wrist fracture sustained in a fall in Rome last June, the Achilles issue has further stalled Pearson's preparations for Rio.
The 29-year-old flew to Germany last month to get an opinion from famous sports injury specialist Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, the former doctor of Bayern Munich who has also worked with Usain Bolt, Paula Radcliffe, Ronaldo and Harry Kewell.
"I'm fixed, that's exactly what he said," Pearson said.
"The fourth day I was there he said, `You're fixed ... you are good to go'."
And the 29-year-old felt her initial prediction that she wouldn't be fit to hit the barriers until a month before the Games may have been premature.
"Training has been going well," said Pearson, who is back running in spikes.
"Probably give it four-to-six weeks now, and then we'll be able to really decide what we're going to do and how ready I actually am to compete.
"I definitely don't want it to be overseas just yet though, that will be more in June."
Pearson's wrist injury has forced her to overhaul her starting technique.
And though she'll face stiff overseas competition in Rio, in an event she won by just two one-hundredths of a second in London 2012, she's adamant neither that factor nor other injuries would stop her hitting her peak.
"The niggles I've had in the past are in the past now," Pearson said.
"I don't think it's taken away anything at the moment.
"In 2013 I had two hamstring tears going into the world championships and I didn't run for a whole year after the 2012 Olympic Games - no one seems to remember that.
"It's exactly the same this year.
"I know how to get the job done no matter what's happened in the lead-up."
Emma Kemp
AAP
