Injured Australian hurdler Sally Pearson pulls out of Commonwealth Games

She was one of Australia’s brightest medal hopes as well as the poster girl of the Commonwealth Games.

But injury has robbed hurdler Sally Pearson, who spent many of her formative years on the Gold Coast where the Games are being staged, of the chance to win a third consecutive Commonwealth gold medal at the final hour.

“It’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,” Pearson told reporters, having become aware of a problem with her Achilles two days ago in training.

“I guess you could call it grief,” added the 31-year-old former world and Olympic champion. “There were a lot of tears flowing. There was a numb phase and a crying phase.”

Sally Pearson had been expected to draw large crowds to the Gold Coast's Carrara Stadium.

Pearson’s face had adorned billboards all over the coastal city and she had played a key role at Wednesday’s opening ceremony, carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s baton on its final leg inside the Carrara Stadium.

“I had a big role to play in the opening ceremony which is why I waited until today to make the announcement,” said Pearson, who had been tipped to compete in multiple events.

“I did everything I possibly could. I left no stone unturned to run in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay.”

It's showtime!The opening ceremony of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games at the Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast on April 4, 2018 gets underway.

Performers and dancers showcased the easy-going Australian lifestyle.

There was a nod to the worldwide image of Australia: golden beaches, surfboards, emus and kangaroos.

The opening ceremony celebrated the Gold Coast's Yugambeh people, Aboriginal clans of south-east Queensland.

Seventy one nations and territories will compete in the 21st Commonwealth Games.

A smoking ceremony -- an ancient tradition in Indigenous culture -- was performed.

Still widely practiced among many Indigenous Australians, the custom involves the burning of various native plants to connect with good spirits.

Luther Cora, a contemporary Aboriginal artist, and his family also conducted a traditional smoking ceremony.

Members of the South Africa delegation get into the spirit of the opening ceremony. South Africa finished the 2014 games with 13 gold medals.

Members of the Canadian team take the obligatory selfie.

Sixty seven athletes make up the Cameroon team.

Members of the Uganda delegation.

Sierra Leone's flagbearer Hafsatu Kamara leads the delegation during the opening ceremony.

Kurt Fearnley showcases the Queen's Baton, which left Buckingham Palace in March 2017 and traveled for 388 days and 143 thousand miles through the entire Commonwealth.

The Australian team arrives during the opening ceremony.

Australia's flagbearer was Mark Knowle, who is the men's hockey captain.

Australian singer Delta Goodrem was one of the performers in the opening ceremony.

No opening ceremony would be complete without a firework display.

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (L) and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales opened Gold Coast 2018 on behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, who is the head of the Commonwealth of countries and territories.

There are 275 gold medals to compete for ... on your marks ...

Commonwealth Games 2018: Opening Ceremony

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Withdrawals

Pearson is not the first high-profile athlete to pull out of the Games.

Olympic and world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, tipped as the man to “take over” athletics by none other than Usain Bolt, sustained a serious knee injury in October 2017 playing touch rugby.

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The South African had hoped to compete in the 100m and 200m sprint disciplines in the absence of the legendary Jamaican, but vowed to work hard “to get back on the track as soon as possible.”

His withdrawal was followed by snubs from Kenya’s 800m world record holder David Rudisha, two-time 1500m Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop and Canada’s triple Olympic sprint medalist Andre De Grasse.

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The women’s 100m hurdles, in which Pearson was expected to compete, take place Friday 13 April at the Carrara Stadium. The Commonwealth Games go on until April 15.