ATHLETICS: Olympic champion Sally Pearson (Qld) hasreturned from injury in style by clocking 12.67 (w: +0.9) to win the women’s 100m hurdles at the Ostrava Golden Spike, as Brett Robinson (ACT)staked his claim for IAAF World Championships selection with a B-Qualifier in the men’s 5000m.
 
Pearson was unrivalled on the entry list after clocking 12.90 in the qualifying round to come into the final as the fastest qualifier. Strong out the blocks and clean over the ten barriers before surging toward the line to win, she crossed in front by almost half a second from local favourite Lucie Skrobakova (CZE, second, 13.02).
 
Declaring that a time of around 12.60 as something she would deem to be a good resultprior to competition, the performance provides Pearson with a great confidence boost before Round 7 of the Samsung Diamond League in Birmingham on Sunday.
 
“Totally discounting the heat, I am really excited. It is fair to say that that wasn’t exactly a performance I wanted but the time from the final is the fastest Ihave ever run in my first event so I couldn’t be happier,” Pearson said.
 
“It was a little cold out there but that didn’t bother me too much. I was focused on running well and after this I can look forward to my upcoming events in Birmginham, Lausanne and Sotteville.
 
“I need the races to get ready for Moscow. Sharon (Hannan, Pearson’s coach) calls it my competition eye and with a few events in the coming weeks I should be able to keep bringing that time down and go to the World Championships as ready as I can.
 
“Coming to Europe earlier has been a great move. I’ve had daily treatment after my hamstring problems and I have been able to knuckle down and train really hard.”
 
As reigning champion, Pearson is an automatic selection to this year’s IAAF World Championships. Scheduled to compete on five more occasions before arriving in Moscow, the Australian and Oceania record holder Pearson boasts a personal best of 12.28, the fifth fastest time in history, and will duel with up and coming American star Brianna Rollins in the battle for gold.
 
Pearson’s international resume is virtually unrivalled in Australian athletics, with the 26-year-old the current Olympic, Commonwealth, world and world indoor champion in the women’s 100m hurdles.
 
Robinson’s run in the men’s 5000m was extraordinary, with his performance of 13:18.96 shaving more than eight seconds from his previous personal best.
 
Crossing 8th overall behind winner Edris Muktar (ETH, first, 13:03.69, PB), Robinson continues to improve rapidly since relocating to Ballarat (Vic) last year, with his top four 5000m results occurring these past six months. He has also placed 29th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and improved his road running career bests across 5 and 10 kilometres this year.
 
Moscow-bound track charges Lauren Boden (ACT) and Zoe Buckman (ACT) joined Pearson on the track in Ostrava, with the duo competing in the women’s 400m hurdles and women’s 1500m respectively.
 
Racing from lane seven, Boden made light work of the stagger on the back straight to come into the last bend with a share of the lead with eventual winner Zuzana Hejnova (CZE, first, 53.32, MR). Continuing to challenge for the win on the run home, Boden was pushed back to third, with her time an outstanding season best of 55.55.
 
Sharing the lead with less than a lap to go, Buckman, who was automatically selected for the World Championships after winning the national title with a B-Qualifier, ran 4:06.36 to finish 5th in the women’s 1500m. Her time was her second fastest his year behind her 4:05.91 from the OXY High Performance Meet in Los Angeles in May.
 
In other Australian results at the Ostrava Golden Spike, Brandon Starc (NSW) cleared 2.10m and 2.15m before missing at 2.20m in the men’s high jump, while across the sea the Sollentuna Grand Prix on the outskirts of Stockholm (SWE), James Nipperess (NSW) has edged closer to the required B-Qualifier he requires for selection to the Australian Flame by winning in a personal best time of 8:34. 87. He was joined by national 5000m champion Cameron Page (NSW) who crossed in 3:45.45 in the men’s 1500m.

Athletics Australia