Legendary sprinter Marjorie Jackson says Sally Pearson will overcome massive public expectations to succeed at the London Olympics.

Pearson has dominated the 100m hurdles for the past year and is Australia's best track gold medal prospect heading into the London Games.

"I'm sure Sally Pearson will bring home the bacon for the athletic team," said Jackson, who won the 100 and 200m track titles in world record times at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics in Finland.

Jackson has a better idea than most about the pressures facing Pearson.

"It was put on me. I felt I had the whole of Australia on my back when I was competing," said Jackson, the first Australian woman to win a track and field gold medal.

Another Australian track legend, 1960 Rome Olympics 1500m champion Herb Elliott, was sure world champion Pearson could handle the pressure of being Australia's big athletic gold medal hope.

"Some people actually react badly under pressure and don't live up to their best performances and other people actually excel under pressure," Elliott said.

"Sally seems to be one of the latter.

"The way she has treated herself through world championships and international events, I just admire the way she has handled pressure.