Olympic champ Pearson fractures arm in Rome

ROME

Australian Olympic champion Sally Pearson's world championships campaign is in doubt after she crashed out of the women's 100m hurdles with a fractured arm in the Rome leg of the Diamond League on Thursday.

Pearson, who won gold at the London Olympics in 2012, had gone halfway through the race before touching a hurdle and crashing to the ground where she was left clutching her hand and wrist, and in apparent pain.

A statement by Athletics Australia later said Pearson had "suffered a dislocation and a complex fracture of both the ulna and the radius in her left arm" and will "undergo surgery" immediately.

It is not yet known if the injury has ended Pearson's hopes of competing at the world athletics championships in Beijing this August.

"She is in the hands of a very competent orthopaedic surgeon in Rome and is understandably devastated by the injury and in a great deal of pain," added the statement.

"It is however too early to tell what impact the injury will have on the remainder of her season and her hopes of competing for Australia at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing in August.

"It is anticipated that Pearson will return home to Australia once she has recovered from the surgery."

Sharika Nelvis of the United States took the win in a personal best of 12.52sec to go top of the Diamond Race with compatriot Dawn Harper-Nelson, a silver medallist at the London Games, second in a season's best of 12.59sec.

Britain's Tiffany Porter held on for third place under pressure from Belarusian Alina Talay.

American world champion Brianna Rollins, who won in Rome last year to end Harper-Nelson's four-year domination at the meet, failed to finish having also crashed out.

Her compatriot Jasmin Stowers, who set a world leading time of 12.35sec in Doha last month, finished in 25.21sec.