Glasgow 2014: Australia's head athletics coach suspended

Hollingsworth and Pearson are reported to have fallen out after the world indoor championships in March

The head coach of Australian athletics has been suspended for publicly criticising his team's Olympic 100 metres hurdles champion Sally Pearson.

Eric Hollingsworth accused Pearson of setting a bad example by not appearing at the team camp last week.

His comments came 24 hours before Pearson begins the defence of her Commonwealth title.

"We condemn in the strongest terms his disparaging comments," said Australia Athletics president David Grace.

According to reports, Hollingsworth and Pearson had a falling-out after the world indoor championships in Poland in March, when the hurdler won silver, and have not talked since.

In the statement which prompted his suspension, Hollingsworth said: "Sally is the team captain and there's a reasonable expectation she'd be in the camp ahead of something as major as the Commonwealth Games. Her no-show sets a bad example to the entire national team."