Thaindian News

New Delhi, Oct 8(ANI): Australian track and field athlete Sally Pearson, who was stripped of her 100metre gold medal for a false start at the Delhi Commonwealth Games, has been left heartbroken after her disqualification.

Pearson was stripped of her gold medal after England protested that she had a false start in a controversial 100metre race at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Thursday.

“To do the victory lap everything, ok, and then be told; ‘Oh no you can’t have your medal now’ it’s horrible. But I have to deal with it because that’s just the way sport is,” The Courier Mail quoted Pearson, as saying.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medallist further said that the New Delhi officials were not helpful during the protest process.

“I didn’t know anything was going on. I was told that I was in the clear. I was walking out to do my medal ceremony and they called us back and said there were still protests going on,” Pearson said.

“No one could tell me what it was about. That’s probably been the most disappointing thing because I still thought I was alright. I was getting told all these different stories and I was not ever once told the truth. Never once told what was going on and I don’t think that is fair.”

“I am in this sport as a competitor and as an athlete just like anyone else. This is our career, this is our job. This is what we train for. To run the race,” she added.

Pearson had crossed the line first ahead of Nigeria’s Osayemi Oludamola (11.32) and Natasha Mayers of St. Vincent and the Grenadines (11.37), with England’s Katherine Endacott fourth.

The Australian team lodged a counter-appeal, but it was rejected after lengthy, four-hour deliberations.

Due to Pearson’s disqualification, the gold medal went to Oludamola, while Endacott moved up to the bronze medal. (ANI)