Hurdler Pearson eyes world record

World champion hurdler Sally Pearson said she plans to break the world record next year as she set her sights on London Olympic gold.

Pearson bagged Australia’s only gold medal at the World Champion-ships in South Korea this month in a new championship record of 12.28 – the fourth-fastest time ever run in the 100m hurdles.

Only world record holder Yordanka Donkova (12.21 in 1988) of Bulgaria, her compatriot Ginka Zagorcheva (12.25 in 1987) and Sweden’s Ludmila Engquist (12.26 in 1992) have gone faster.

Pearson wants to re-write history.

“Olympic gold and a world record,” she said when asked what 2012 held in store during a reception celebrating her achievement on the Gold Coast, her home town.

“After winning the final I still felt like I could do more. That’s a good sign I guess because I felt that 12.28 was easy for me – hopefully next year I will be able to go faster.”

Pearson, who celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday, added that being world champion would not affect her at the London Olympics, where she aims to go better than the silver she won in Beijing in 2008.

“I hope I haven’t peaked. I am still really young. And I don’t believe I will be under pressure at London (Olympics) even though I am world champion,” she said.

“If you are confident then you have no worries. That’s what I felt at the worlds – I just went out there and did what I do best.”