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Australian sprinter Sally Pearson was stripped of her Commonwealth Games gold medal overnight following an English team protest which led to farcical scenes in Delhi.
Pearson finished the final 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.
But an English team protest against Pearson’s false start was upheld after a lengthy, four-hour deliberation.
England’s Endacott took the bronze medal given Pearson’s disqualification.
The Australian team lodged a counter-appeal but it was rejected.
Pearson had taken a victory lap and was preparing for the medal ceremony when she was told of the protest.
After a four hour wait and a serious failure in communications from Delhi officials, Pearson, in tears, was eventually disqualified.
A shocked and devastated Person, 24, complained about the manner in which the situation 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,” Pearson said. “But I have to deal with it because that’s just the way sport is, hey.”
“I was walking out to do my medal ceremony and they called us back and said there were still protests going on.
“I didn’t know anything was going on. I was told that I was in the clear,” Pearson said.
“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.”
The problems began when Pearson and English runner Laura Turner were involved in a false start in the first attempt to get the race underway.
Turner was disqualified immediately, although a check of electronic data showed Pearson also jumped the gun.
Pearson, fearing she was about to be disqualified, held her head in dismay, but electronic sensor pads on the starting blocks showed Turner broke first.
Readings from the sensors showed Turner reacted to the gun in 0.070sec, when the margin for error is 0.001.
Pearson reacted in 0.071, meaning that technically, she also false-started.
Confusingly, Turner was still allowed to run in the final once the field had been recalled, although she came last.
Immediately after the race, England made two appeals: one against Turner’s disqualification and the other by fourth-placed Endacott against Pearson.
Tears streamed down Pearson’s face as she spoke about the terrible situation.
“(The result) is devastating,” Pearson said.
Pearson said it was the toughest moment of her career so far.
“I’m just numb right now,” Pearson said.
“I don’t really know how to feel. Obviously devastated and very disappointed.
“It didn’t go my way and that’s what I have to deal with and I’m just going to use my emotions and my anger and my disappointment and put it into the hurdles and I hope that I can come out on top.”