Pearson not only ran clearly the fastest time of the heats, her 12.69s was the fastest time she has run in six months.

It was plainly the quickest she has gone since before her hamstring injury and reinforced what she insisted previously – she is getting quicker, her times are dropping.

“This is the happiest face I have had all season, it is a relief it is all coming together, I know it usually does but it is such a nerve wracking time because I haven’t raced since London (nearly two weeks ago) and that was stepping up to the next level there and now I have dropped it again dramatically by a tenth (of a second).

“I was really nervous I treated it like a final.

 

“It is so nice to have a good time and to feel good in my running. Thank goodness, (the time) is coming down not going up. My headspace is good now, I am excited and happy and relaxed now I have got that out of the way.”

Against the backdrop of a dramatic week, Pearson admitted the Hollingsworth email and suspension had been a significant distraction to her but she had forced herself to focus.

Shane Warne was perhaps the most obvious figure who would elevate his on-field performance when drama unfolded around him. Pearson has not been subject to Warne-like off track drama but she has managed to use controversy as motivation not an excuse.

But the measure of what this meant – overcoming the controversy, overcoming the injury, slashing her time – Pearson pumped the air when she crossed the line. This was a heat not a final, but she appeared like she had just won gold.

“It’s been pretty tough, it’s been very distracting but I have forced myself not to go there and put myself into this headspace that I know is positive. Obviously I am going to address the issues but not now hopefully with a gold medal around my neck,” Pearson said adding that she had been well supported by the team around her.

Partially addressing Hollingsworth’s chief criticism, that as team captain she should not have missed the team camp to compete in London last week, Pearson said she would have preferred to have been there.

“At the end of the day it's an individual sport, yes I'm a team captain and it would have been good to have been at the camp but I wasn't and I did what was right for me,” she said.

“I have a good bunch of team event coaches to get athletes through and give them some inspiration and motivation to get ready for these Commonwealth Games and I know our team is going to come together and really lift each other which we have over the last couple of weeks.”

Pearson said she tuned out of all social media in the last week to insulate herself from the controversy that was percolating outside her bubble.

“I didn't even know about any of the negativity until quite a few hours afterwards and everyone started coming up to me going are you alright? I'm like ‘yes... ‘ so it's been really good and nice to not even know what the issue is.”

Of equal satisfaction to her own time dropping was the fact her main rival for gold, Tiffany Porter of England, ran a ragged race and slower time in the first heat.

Almost overshadowed by the Pearson run was the fact two other Australians, Shannan McCann and Michelle Jenneke both qualified for the final making it three Australians in the field of eight. Jenneke ran fourth in her heat in 13.33s and McCann second in hers in 13.34s.

Lauren Wells drew the favourable lane five for the women’s 400m hurdles final after a strong heat but there were still four runners in the field who all had lower personal bests than her and all had run quicker this year.

Brittany McGowan the national champion, had a difficult 800m semi-final, blocked twice when trying to make her way through the field she was pushed wide on the bend and although she made her move to the front she could not hold her position and faded badly over the final 300m.

Ella Nelson finished sixth in the semi final of the women’s 200m. After an impressive performance in the heat to make the semi Nelson ran 23.50s, behind the intimidatingly effortless Blessing Okagbare who not only won the semi but wafted through to the gold in the final.

The other short-priced Australian favourite in action on Thursday was 2009 discus world champion Dani Samuels and her performance in qualifying was even more comprehensive than that of Pearson.

Samuels' best throw of 64.53m was more than six metres further than second-placed Seema Punia from India.

Young Australian Taryn Gollshewsky set a PB of 58.24m to qualify in third place, while countrywoman Christie Chamberlain also advanced to the final.

With aap