Commonwealth Games: Australia's Sally Pearson withdraws from Gold Coast 2018

Sally Pearson announces her decision to withdraw from Gold Coast 2018

Sally Pearson, Australia's face of the Commonwealth Games, has withdrawn from Gold Coast 2018 because of injury.

The 31-year-old 100m hurdler, regarded as one of the hosts' gold-medal prospects, had been struggling with an Achilles injury.

Announcing her withdrawal, Pearson said she was "gutted, absolutely gutted, tears flowing, almost like grief with a numbness phase and a crying phase".

The Gold Coast native featured in the Games' opening ceremony on Wednesday.

Sally Pearson carried the Queen's baton at the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony