Pearson hopes for icing on the cake

The 25-year-old hurdler was this weekend named in the final three for the 2011 World Athlete of the Year, along with shot putter Valerie Adams (NZL) who was undefeated all season and set an Oceania record at the IAAF World Championships, and Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot, who added 5000m and 10,000m gold medals to the world cross-country title she won earlier in the season.

Pearson earned her nomination following a year of dominating the 100m hurdles, starting with a clean sweep of victories in the 2011 Australian Athletics Tour before moving onto six wins at Samsung Diamond League meets. The second of those came in Birmingham, where Pearson lowered her own Oceania record to 12.48. Whileimpressive at the time she would obliterate it in the final of the IAAF World Championships in Daegu to win gold, crossing the line in 12.28, which is the fastest time in over 19 years.

Having already being named as the Leadership Legend Award winner at the I Support Women in Sport Awards, and beating US Open Champion Sam Stosur to Queensland Athlete of the Year, Pearson insists receiving an award voted for by the global athletics community would be the ultimate honour.

She said: “I felt my results this season were reasonable and the time I clocked in Daegu was incredible, so I thought I might have done enough to receive an initial nomination but I was still extremely honoured to have been listed.

“I think I did something very special this year and I hoped I could make the top three. With Valerie also in there, we’re (Oceania) doing pretty well.

“Winning this award would top off the year. I remember being a bit younger than I am now and always looking at this award thinking that you would have to be so good to be up for it, that you’d have to break a world record or do somethingincredible. It’s an award I have always looked up to and it would be a dream-come-true to win, after what has been a fantastic year.

“I do not have a bad word I can say about Valerie. She is a really good friend and probably the model athlete we all want to be, because she wins everything, is a fighter, is strong and she raises her level for every major championship she competes in.

“As for Vivian, I know that she’s got three world titles this year, which is obviously very impressive and shows why she’s on the list.”

Pearson will travel to Monaco for the World Athletics Gala this Saturday and by thetime she arrives her hometown, the Gold Coast, will know whether it has won the right to host the Commonwealth Games in 2018.

As an ambassador to the bid Pearson has been actively involved throughout the campaign and she admits a home Games will be the incentive she needs if she is to continue competing for another seven years.

She said: “I’m really excited. It will be nice to get it. I think we will be able to hold the Commonwealth Games really well on the Gold Coast, I’ve got no doubt about that. I’m confident we can win it, but ultimately it comes down to the judges.

“It will be great to get it, but it’s just one of those things you know, ‘if we do, we do, if we don’t, we don’t.’ I’m not sure I will be running then as I will be 32, but if the Gold Coast wins the bid then I think I will definitely have to come back for it. Although I might have to take a break before!

“I’m in hard training now and only just had my skin folds taken this week, so it’s back to a strict diet. But if everything goes well this weekend then I’m sure I will have a glass of champagne to celebrate.”