Every day, for just a moment, Sally Pearson finds herself running for gold at the London Olympics.

Australia’s world champion hurdler doesn’t dwell on the thought, realising to do so would drive her mad.

But Pearson doesn’t fight her daily drift into the future.

“I don’t think about it 24/7 because then you get excited and you’re using energy,” Pearson said in Adelaide on Friday.

“So you just allow yourself each day to have a little think about it and move on.”

Pearson, the star attraction of Saturday’s Adelaide Track Classic, can’t help imagining the 100 metre hurdles race in London which will define her.

“I picture the race itself,” she said.

“It’s hard because it’s London and you have never done it before, but you picture how good you were feeling last year and try and picture yourself being in the same shape at the Olympics this year.

“You shouldn’t block it out because it’s the Olympics.

“There is no point hiding away from it because it’s the biggest sporting event in the world. You have got to love what you do so I’m really excited about it.”

Pearson said she was relishing her domination of the 100m hurdles last year, which culminated in winning the IAAF’s female athlete of the year award.

“I’m more confident in being the one to chase than the one chasing,” she said.

“Even though if you’re the one to chase, you have got a lot to lose – whereas if you’re the one chasing, you have got everything to gain.

“I think that keeps me on my toes and makes me want it even more if I’m the one being chased.”

Pearson will run the 100m and 200m sprints at Adelaide’s Santos Stadium on Saturday at a meet which also marks the return to competition of Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker.

Hooker hopes to put an injury-cursed year behind him, while Pearson said she was in fine physical shape since overcoming a minor thigh strain late last year.