‘My health comes first’: Sally Pearson out of Commonwealth Games

Sally Pearson has withdrawn from the Commonwealth Games with an achilles tendon injury.

Pearson, who is the captain of the Australian athletics team, announced in a press conference on Thursday that she’s decided to put her health first and not risk injuring her body any further. 

“I am here to announce I will pull out of the Australian Commonwealth Games athletics team in the 100m hurdles and the 4 x 100m hurdles and the 4 x 100 m relay due to an Achilles issue that has been around for quite some time and has flared up,” she told media at a packed press conference on the Gold Coast. 

“That is my decision, obviously I’m very disappointed but I am happy to be here to support the Australian athletics team, and the Australian team as well.”

The 31-year-old hurdler was battling a problem with her achilles in the lead-up to the Games. Pearson said after a few successful training sessions she felt “very confident”, but it wasn’t until she went into some hurdle drills that she realised she “just could not do it”. 

“The thing with the Achilles tendon is they spark very quickly. This has been ongoing for a couple of years and it is unfortunate the timing is now. My health comes first,” she said.  

“I wanted to be able to go to the Opening caps are money and enjoy myself, I had a big role to play, it is why I left it until today to announce it.”

https://twitter.com/7CommGames/status/981729332329508864

The 2012 Olympic champion had previously said that “this is not a career-ending injury” and had reassured fans she would overcome “what is just another challenge in my career”. 

Read more: Alan Jones rips into ‘rubbish, insulting’ opening ceremony

Pearson played a major role in last night’s opening ceremony after taking part in the final stages of the Queen’s baton relay. The 31-year-old took to social media to share her excitement ahead of the opening ceremony last night. 

She wrote: “Tomorrow morning it’s my turn to run with the baton. Come and see me at the countdown clock in Surfers Paradise where I will begin my journey with the Queens Baton Relay at 9.47am.”

Tomorrow morning it’s my turn to run with the baton. Come and see me at the countdown clock in Surfers Paradise where I will begin my journey with the Queens Baton Relay at 9.47am @GC2018 pic.twitter.com/R2sX7PXLzT

— Sally Pearson OAM (@sallypearson) April 3, 2018

On Saturday, the sprint hurdler told media she felt “90 per cent there” and was hoping to complete four hurdles training sessions before making a call on the injury. 

“It’s a matter of what my body wants to do on the day and that’s pretty much going to make my decision for me,” Pearson said, the ABC reported. 

She has previously won gold in the 100m hurdles at the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and won Olympic gold in 2012 in London as well as silver in Beijing in 2008. 

However, her career has been plagued with injury and was forced to pull out of the 2016 Rio Olympics with a hamstring injury.

Read more: Camilla flicks through magazine, appears bored at Games opening

Are you sad to hear this news about Sally? Will you be watching the Commonwealth Games?

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