Pearson assures English team of no hard feelings

Fri, Oct 08 10 11:21 PM

Melbourne, Oct 8 (PTI) Australian athlete Sally Pearson, who was stripped of her 100m gold medal for a false start last night after a protest by the England team, has assured the British officials that she had no hard feelings towards them. During her bus journey back to the athletes'' village in Delhi, Pearson committed the ultimate act of sportsmanship, when upon seeing the Team England leader John Brierley, the man who had her disqualified and stripped of gold for false starting, made her way to him and said: "I have no hard feelings." Pearson also passed on her well-wishes to new English bronze medallist Katherine Endacott. "I understand you made the protest," Pearson said to Brierley. "I''d just like say I have no hard feelings. Good luck to your girl who has got the bronze medal," she was quoted as saying by ''The Australian''. Pearson had won the women''s 100m dash with a timing of 11.28s. Pearson crossed the finish line ahead of Oludamola in 11.28 seconds but was subsequently disqualified following a protest by the decision of the referee. English runner Laura Turner was shown the red card by the race referee for a false start, but Australian Sally Pearson also appeared to jump the gun and was seen putting her hands over her face in despair fearing an ouster for jumping the gun. Subsequent to Pearson''s disqualification the silver medallist, Osayomi Oludamola of Nigeria, was elevated to the gold standard while the third and fourth place finishers in the race - Natasha Mayers (St. Vincent and Grenadines) and England''s Catherine Endacott were awarded the silver and bronze respectively. The 24-year-old Pearson, after being stripped of her medal, said she was floored by the way the issue was handled. "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," she said. Pearson said she left in the dark throughout the protest process. "I didn''t know anything was going on. I was told that I was in there. I was walking out to do my medal ceremony and they called us back and said there were still protests going on. No one could tell me what it was about. (Or) who it was against. 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," Pearson said. (More) PTI SHN

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